Foundations of Neo Genesis
by EmeraldDragon
Summary: In a world where one city can span a continent, Inuyasha - a half demon from the streets - is offered a choice. Colonize a new world or locked away for ever. Can he find his place and acceptance on a new world?
1. Chapter 1

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Disclaimer: I own nothing. However, the ideas, situations, original characters, and creatures are of my own creation and therefore copyrights of me. Any use of these with out my permission will result in bad things.

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Foundations of Neo Genesis

Chapter 1

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The future depends on humanity coming finally to see that it is part of the natural world — as vulnerable to destruction as any wolf or whale or clear running stream, as integral to the proper workings of the planet as the blowing of the winds and the shining of the sun.

~ Roger L. DiSilvestro ~

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A purple moon hung in the sky as if someone had bruised the heavens. It was said the moon was a silvery white once, but that was centuries ago, before the pollution had clogged the atmosphere. A handful of stars also dotted the inky blackness if you were far enough away from the city to see them. Though such a task could only be accomplished by the truly ambitious. Most continents had long ago become one large metropolis. One city faded into another as seamlessly as smoke into the blackened sky.

Long ago the population of the Earth had been a mere handful, living in caves and hunting for food. Now it soared in the 900 billion range, with most living in towering edifices of steel-alloys and glass-compounds. Light that once had been provided in abundance by the Sun now came from Luminance Orbs, little glowing balls of energy that could be brightened or dimmed with a single voice command. Everyone had at least one Luminance Orb, for it was impossible to live without them. Thick, sludgy clouds, which adorned the sky constantly, blocked the light from the sun during the day, and at night the blackness was to thick to be penetrated by even the keenest of eyes.

Air purification factories had replaced the trees as the main converter of carbon dioxide to oxygen. The only plants that existed now grew in pots of synthetic soil, under synthetic sunlight, drinking synthetic water. Such luxuries as organic soil and water were reserved for the wealthy, not squandered on such futile things as flowers. Most plants however were kept in museums, preserved forever in a wax and plastic alloy.

Few animals had survived the population boom. Only those that could adapt to the populace existed outside of ZOOS (Zoological Observations Optical Stations). The facilities no longer held live animals, but rather a holographic imitation thereof. The only organic animals in the world were kept among the plants at museums. The few animals that still lived were considered pests, though if tales were correct; rats, pigeons, and roaches had always been as such. Animals that had once been pets had given way to android versions. The androids were cleaner, lived longer, were more obedient, customizable, and if they would not shut up you could always turn then off.

This was the world Inuyasha in which was born, son of a demon father and human mother. Demons had come into existence only two centuries ago when science tried to extend the human lifespan by splicing human embryos with animal DNA. The result was super humans with animalistic features. The experiment had worked; some say too well. The demons did live longer, were stronger, stayed healthier and healed faster then humans, and even developed sharper senses, but it came at a price. Many of the subjects had severe metal breakdowns. Those that did not, faced life in a world that could not accept them as anything but products of madness. Over the years, laws and time proved the demons equal to their human counterparts, but did not erase the prejudice. 

It was really only a fluke that Inuyasha was born, humans and demons rarely mixed company. According to his older half brother his parents had loved one another, but he could not remember. Both had died when he was young; thanks to an act by a group of Purists. His brother had done his best to care for him, but work often kept him at the office late into the night and demanded his attention early in the morning. As a result, Inuyasha had grown up mostly on his own on the mean streets of the New York Detroit Los Angeles Unified Metropolitan or NYDLA City. A spiral of drugs, gangs, and street fighting had made up his life, occasionally punctuated by his brother trying to help him get clean or jail time.

The half demon sighed as he looked out the window to his cell. The city sprawled out as far as the eye could see. Buildings like jagged teeth reached into the sky, some disappearing into the thick cloud overhead. The steady buzz of hover vehicles and chatter below floated over him even on the hundredth floor. His golden eyes followed the path of the purple moon as it eased its way into the sky. The light reflected off his silvery-white hair and the two triangle dog-ears atop his head, turning them pale lavender. The Luminance Orbs that hovered nearby had been turned down to leave the small cell almost black.

Inuyasha had just closed his eyes and bowed his head when the heavy clink of a lock announced a visitor's arrival. He did not bother to open his eyes or lift his head; his nose was enough to tell him it was his older half-brother Sesshoumaru. Expecting another lecture on his behavior and how his parents would be so disappointed, Inuyasha opted to fain sleep.

"Lights on." Sesshoumaru said without emotion. Inuyasha groaned as light flooded the room and turned the inside of his eyelids red. 

"Some of us are trying to sleep." He drawled grumpily. Sesshoumaru snorted. The older demon glanced around the room in mild revulsion. It was little more then a square room of solid cement-alloy. A small square window filled with diagonal bars incased in glass was the only interruption in the right wall. On the left wall was a bench that could serve as a bed, which his younger brother was currently doing. Also in the room were a worn table and two chairs. Sesshoumaru opted to stand. 

"Really Inuyasha, I knew you were awake before I even entered the room. I am a full demon after all." Inuyasha shot him a glare from across the room before sighing and sitting up.

"Well, I was trying to sleep. But if you're here to give me the usual lecture, go ahead. Maybe it will put me to sleep." Sesshoumaru frowned.

"This is serious."

"I know that! I'm not a fucking idiot. I've been in here three days and all I know is that Kikyo is dead and I'm the one they want to pin it on! She was my girl dammit! Why would I kill her?!"

"Did you?" Sesshoumaru asked raising a single sculpted eyebrow.

"NO!" The older demon sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Fine, Inuyasha." He walked over and sat down in one of the chairs, "Didn't come to argue with you. I came to deliver news of your… circumstance. Would you like the good news or the bad news first?"

"I've been stuck in a cell for three days because my girlfriend was murdered and those morons think I did it just because I am a half-breed. Any good news would be wonderful."

"Ok, they don't have the evidence to convict you."

"There is a god!" Inuyasha threw his hands up more in exasperation then joy, "What's the bad news?"

"They don't have the evidence to prove you innocent either." 

"Meaning, they'll just assume I did it because of what I am. And the universe is still out to get me. Fuck!" He turned and planted his fist into the wall. The action was followed by a long string of curses. The cell had been built to hold a demon and Inuyasha had only succeeded in hurting his hand. Sesshoumaru sat calmly while his younger sibling ranted and beat his hands bloody on the wall. It would do little good to stop him, and he was not doing any permanent damage. "Why the fuck are you just sitting there! I'm about to get pegged for a murder I didn't commit, and rot in this hellhole for the rest of my life! You're supposed to be my brother! Don't you ever fucking care!"

Sesshoumaru calmly pressed his fingertips together and watched his brother. Unlike the younger demon he was rarely given to emotional outburst. He found it clouded his thinking and only gave Purists more fuel.

"There is… another option." Inuyasha paused in his assault of the wall to look up curiously. "But it may not be that much better."

"I'm listening." The younger demon said as he sat down backwards in the other chair. He folded his arms on the back and his chin resting on his arms.

"Have you heard of project Neo Genesis?"

"No." Sesshoumaru paused to collect himself and pursed his lips slightly.

"It is a new project the World Government has recently started. They wish to find a new home for the populace."

"So they are starting another space station? We already have six orbiting the Earth, how much good do they think another will make? And what has they got to do with me?"

"It's not a space station. To my understanding it is a project to find a new planet where we, humans and demons, can live without this mess we have created. How it concerns you is simple. If you agree to volunteer for the project, the courts will drop all the charges against you. And I mean all of them, you'll have clean record."

"This sound too good to be true. What's the catch?" Sesshoumaru paused again to study the wall where Inuyasha had played bloody knuckles.

"The mission is… one way."

"Meaning, I either rot in here for the rest of my life with the world thinking I'm a murderer, or I go to some god-forsaken, backwater planet where I will probably be eaten alive by god knows what. And that's if the air is even breathable. Gee, the choices are just staggering."

"They are looking for a place to live. All the planets have been surveyed and air sampled and all other manner of whatnot to make sure they are livable. They had tilted everything in favor of success. This is your only chance little brother. We both know there is no way you can beat this charge and I can't buy you out of it. If you don't take this now… well, I hope you like this room, because you will be seeing it for a long time." Inuyasha sighed and dropped his head against his arms. Silence fell over them for several minutes as Inuyasha debated his choices. After several minutes he looked up, a frown etched on his face.

"I really don't have choice do I?"

"There is always a choice, Inuyasha. But this time they are very limited."

"Shit… I guess dying out there is better then dying in here." Sesshoumaru nodded and stood. He left without a word; the only herald to his departure was the loud clank of the heavy bars and the lock of the door. Inuyasha sighed again and buried his head in his arms. After several minutes he got up and headed back over the bench like bed.

"Lights off." He muttered half-heartedly. The Luminance Orbs dimmed to nothing but a pinprick that hovered near the ceiling. The half-demon closed his eyes and got comfortable. However, the sleep he so desired would not come, and the darkness only haunted him with his own nightmares.

"Kikyo! Kikyo! Where are you?" The only answer to his plea was a choked scream. His feet pounded against the hard ground as he raced towards the sound. The hallway seemed to go on forever, it stretched away from him and no matter how fast he ran he could not reach the source of the woman's screaming. Then the screaming died with a final choking gasp.

"Kikyo!" He rounded a corner to find a young woman lying in a growing pool of blood. Her dark hair, usually so well kept, was a mess of tangles and clotting blood. Her perfect face was marred by a bloody smear and far too pale. Inuyasha found himself kneeling at her side. He gathered her into his arms, rocking the lifeless body and calling out her name, desperate to wake her. She did not respond.

"Murderer!" The word was no more then a whisper but his head shot up all the same. People loomed over them; shadowy, faceless figures all pointing accusing fingers at him. "Murderer!" Their voices were getting louder and he clutched Kikyo's body closer as if it would somehow make them understand.

"I didn't…"

"Murderer!!" 

"No! I didn't kill her! Someone help her, please!"

"MURDERER!"

"NO!" Someone hit him in the back of the head and everything blurred. Colors swirled and ran together. Slowly they reformed, shaping themselves into something huge. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, trying to bring it into focus. When he opened his eyes again Kikyo had vanished. In fact the whole city had disappeared. He now stood on an open plane of flat land. The dirt underfoot was a dark clay-red and stretched on forever in all directions, unbroken by even a clump of dead grass. Around him lay bodies of faceless people all soaked in blood. The dirt around them was muddied with more blood. Deep gashes severed many of them nearly in two. 

The earth shook under his feet and he spun around. Towering above him was a creature like nothing he had ever seen in all the ZOOS archive. A head like a wolf with a blunted muzzle was mounted on a powerful horse-like body. Huge cat-like paws sported massive claws. A whip like tail cracked the ground angrily and a deep growl rumbled from its chest. Thick slimly saliva rolled off of yellow fangs as large as his arm.

The creature lunged, and he leapt away instinctively, the massive jaws snapping shut where he had been only moments ago. With supernatural speed the creature turned and caught his leg in its jaws, slinging him to the ground like a rag doll. A huge paw came down and pinned him to the ground, claws gouging the earth on either side of his head. The creature growled down at him, its sticky breath rolled over him and making him gag.

Inuyasha growled back and tried to push up on the paw. It did little good. The beast easily over powered him, crushing him farther under its foot. He cried out as the air was forced from his lungs. The half demon looked on in horror as the jaws came down at him.

"WAKE-UP!" Inuyasha bolted up right. He was still in the dark cell high in the jail in the midst of an endless city. The purple moon had dipped below the teeth of the city skyline and the dull buzz of life still hung in the air. A guard grumbled as he walked away from the cell door.

Inuyasha ran the back of his hand across his brow and found he was sweating. His chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath and reminded himself it was just a dream. With a deep sigh to calm his breathing and he lay back down on the bench bed. His senses told him morning was still hours away but sleep was the last thing on his mind. The images of Kikyo and that monster still haunted the edge of him mind.

He lay there and watched as the thick masses of clouds slowly chased each other across the sky. He watched them lazily through half lidded eyes. The two images at the edge of his mind kept the want of sleep at bay even as his breath slowed and his eyes fell closed.

Inuyasha snapped awake suddenly when the sound of the heavy door clanked in his ears. The cell was flooded with dull gray morning light and a small army of guards was standing in the doorway. A single guard in back of the group was holding a set of hand and leg restraints. Several others stood between that one guard and him all holding shields. The shields were large and made of some plastic like substance. Each was electrified, made to force submission out of an unwilling prisoner. The shield guards were also armed with heavy nightsticks. 

Inuyasha narrowed his golden eyes and growled deep in his chest. His lips pulled away from his teeth, revealing a pair of sharp canines. His ears lay back and he drew his body into a crouch.

"Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way." One particularly burly guard said as he took a less-then-confident step forward.

"Looks like you don't want me to come quietly." Inuyasha spat back, "Besides I thought I was free. I agreed to the stupid judges terms."

"Agree or not, you are still a prisoner until you are off the planet. Stupid half-breed." Inuyasha's growls grew in volume. He knew that they were baiting him, but he did not care. 

"Looks like the little monster is going to fight." The man with the restraints said coolly, "Subdue the prisoner." The shield wielding guards rushed forward. Inuyasha tried to dodge, but the cell was too confined and the shield caught him below the waist. The guards slammed him against the wall. Electricity jumped through his body as his back and skull cracked painfully against the concrete-alloy wall. He growled and punched the nearest guard in the head. The guard wheeled backward with a cry as blood started to come from his mouth and nose. 

A nightstick came out from his left and caught him upside the head. The shields released long enough to let him fall to the ground before grinding into his back. He bit back a cry as his arms were twisted behind him back and clamped tightly into steel restraints. The same happened to his legs before the electrified shield lifted and he was roughly jerked to his feet.

"Stupid half-breed." One of the guards muttered as he cuffed Inuyasha upside the head. The demon growled back but there was not anything he could do as they shoved him down the hallway towards the transport shuttle.

The hall was silent as they walked, except for the sound of their feet. Other prisoners peeked out of their cells at the entourage passed. Most said nothing, but a few muttered to themselves and looked away shaking their heads. If he paused, even for a moment, to look at the other prisoners, one of the guards would hit the back of his head and tell him to keep moving. The transport shuttle was kept on the top floor and they had to take a transport lift.

Inuyasha stumbled on the short leg restraints as they pushed him on to the roof level. He growled and the guards retaliated with a nightstick to his stomach. The demon coughed as they pushed him into the back of a small shuttle and locked the doors behind him.

Gingerly, Inuyasha pushed himself to his knees as the ship began to rumble around him. The only light was from a single, round window the size of a small plate on each of the sidewalls. The ship gave a lurch as it took off and he was tossed backwards onto his rump. The demon groaned at the rough treatment as he braced himself against a wall. The ship lurched again as they exited the atmosphere before smoothing out. 

With the take off over, Inuyasha struggled to his feet to look out the window. He could not suppress the gasp that rose from his throat, it was the first time he'd ever seen beyond the suffocating clouds around Earth. All around was the darkest color of black dotted randomly with bright points of light. In an instant he saw more stars then he could ever remember seeing in his life. The blackness was blanketed with them so thickly that they seem to be trying to force the darkness out completely. Leaning his head slightly he caught sight of a huge orb suspended amongst the nothingness. One side was a bright, almost blinding, silvery white and the other half thrown in to beep shadow. The Moon, it really was silver and not the purple he had always seen overhead. 

Tilting his head a bit more the Earth came into view. He had seen pictures from the 20th century where his home planet had been a beautiful mass of blue and green overlaid in swirls of white. The Earth of now looked very different. The white had turned into a solid mass of dingy gray and the blue and green could only be made out by the places where the gray was tinted ever so slightly. Inuyasha snorted in disgust and turned away from the only smudge on the beauty that surrounded him.

All too soon the ship slowed to dock at one of the space stations. Slowly the thick metal walls closed around the small shuttle and blocked out the nothingness of space. The heavy clang of the dock gate doors was strangely musical to Inuyasha's ears. He was free. No more being pushed around by others for what he was. No more empty accusation from those who feared him. The air suddenly seemed sweeter.

The doors to the shuttle flew open and Inuyasha was jerked painfully out by his restraints. He stumbled to catch himself, but the short chain between his legs made it worse and he fell face first onto the ground. The guards laughed overhead. Inuyasha growled and pushed himself awkwardly to his feet. The guards continued to laugh and jeer at him the whole time.

"Take them off."

"Yeah right. You really are a stupid half-breed if you think we're just going to let you go." One of the guards scoffed between laughs. "You honestly thought we'd turn you loose to ravage this ship!"

"You fucking bastards!" Inuyasha lunged at them, but an expertly raised shield sent electricity through his body before throwing him to the ground. He looked up in time to see a nightstick coming down on him. He closed his eyes, waiting for the impact he could not stop. But it did not come. Inuyasha slowly looked up to see the nightstick had been stopped by Sesshoumaru's hand on the guard's wrist. A frown marred the older demon's usually emotionless face.

"Sesshoumaru?"

"I thought as much would happen." He answered without taking his eyes from the guards, "And I brought you personal things." Without the slightest effort, Sesshoumaru pushed the guard away as Inuyasha climbed to his feet. "Unbind him."

"You're joking! He'll kill us all!"

"As you no doubt richly deserve. Either way he is a free man now that he is aboard Second Moon. Now release him, before I see to it that none of you ever work again." The guards paled slightly, then one slowly came forward. A small key was inserted into the cuff on Inuyasha's right wrist and all the restraints fell away with a dull clatter. Sesshoumaru placed a hand on his younger brother's shoulder to prevent any retaliation as he steered him away from the docking area. Inuyasha grumbled but did not fight as he rubbed his abused wrists.

Inuyasha followed his brother out of the docking bay and into the main hall of Second Moon. The space station had been the first of its kind only half a century ago, built to relieve some of the bulging Earth population. It had been no easy task, even for the World Government. The station had to be big enough to hold large numbers of people, but not so big that it would cause traffic problems with the satellites, natural and otherwise. It also had to be light so it would not slingshot itself out of orbit, but strong enough to withstand the unexpected. The station also had to be 85% self-sustaining. The supplies it got from earth were only the essentials or things that could not be produced on the station. The development had taken nearly a century and was christened 'Second Moon' by some genius in the dark corners of the World Government HQ.

The project, in essence, had been a success. Or it would have been at the time it was conceived. Since then the population had ballooned exponentially, and Second Moon was quickly filled to capacity, then over filled. To counter this unforeseen hitch, the government built another station, then another. By the time the Earth's orbit could no longer hold any more of the moon-sized satellites, they realized that a new solution had to be found.

The hall of Second Moon was light not with Luminance Orbs but over headlights embedded in the ceiling. It made everything easily visible in all directions, also hurting Inuyasha's eyes with their brightness. As he blinked to adjust the station came into focus. The floor was made of some sort of metal that had been polished smooth and covered in something to cut the reflection of the lights. The beige plastic-alloy walls stretched up ten feet before coming to a second level. Here there was a walkway on either side of the main promenade on the floor below and lined with railing. The two sides were linked with the occasional crossover bridge, and linked to the floor below was short transport lifts. The wall continued up until they connected with the ceiling, which looked very much like the floor. Shops, stores, restaurants, and other such things to amuse the ship's residents and visitors occasionally dented the walls on either side. 

Sesshoumaru gave a slight tug at his shoulder and Inuyasha followed without comment. He led the younger demon to one of the doors that allowed people on and off the promenade. It slid open with a soft hiss as they approached and shut similarly after they passed. They passed down a long, unadorned corridor before coming to a door. Sesshoumaru pushed a button on the side and the door hissed open.

They entered a room that was dimly lit with a lamp off to the left. Unlike the hall outside this room's floor was covered in plush red carpet. Near the lamp was a high-backed chair with a book sitting on the cushion. A large desk stood at the back to the room. It looked to be made of oak, but more then likely it was some sort of synthetic compound or had a hologram graphed to the surface. Hunched over the desk, seated on a plush chair, was an elderly looking man. He was concentrating hard on the papers in front of him, seeming not to notice his guests. Sesshoumaru cleared his throat loudly and the man jumped.

The man looked up at them with an expression of mild bewilderment, as if he had not expected any company. He blinked once then smiled. The man rose to his feet and walked around the desk. Inuyasha was a little tall for his age, but this man was at lest two feet shorter then him and about twice as wide. His large graying mustache matched his thinning hair. But his blue eyes were gleamed with youth.

"Inuyasha, it's so nice to see you again. My how you've grown." The man greeted as he reached out his hand. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, but he gave the offered hand a quick shake nonetheless.

"Do I… know you?"

"Ahh, yes." The man sighed as he waddled back behind the desk, "I don't suspect you'd remember old Myouga. I knew your father many a year before he met your mother. I visited often when you were small, but then I was assigned here, and well… lost touch. I wish I could have been there for you when…"

"Shut up! I don't need some old codger to look after me, now or ever!" Sesshoumaru cuffed him upside the head.

"Be nice Inuyasha. It is Myouga who got you this chance."

"It is quiet alright Sesshoumaru," The elderly man interrupted, "Should have known better then to bring up such a subject."

"Feh!" Inuyasha crossed his arms and looked away. Myouga's mouth quirked up slightly and Sesshoumaru sighed.

"To business I guess." The old man sat in his chair and shuffled through the papers scattered haphazardly across the surface. He muttered to himself as he pushed reports around, searching for the one that he wanted. With a triumphant cry he lifted a single sheet out of the mess. He took another minute to look over the page, now muttering Inuyasha's name as he did. "Here it is. Inuyasha, you will be in Delta group that leaves in… four days." He looked up at the two demons, "Till then, you have the time off to do as you wish, get any affairs you have in order, and generally enjoy yourself. There is a suite prepared for you on," glanced at the paper again, "Floor 12 room 6247. Just give your name at the door and it will let you in. If you need anything, just ask." Sesshoumaru gave a nod and steered Inuyasha out before he could respond.

"Listen to me very carefully, little brother." He began, "This is your last chance, if you mess this up there will be no one left to help you."

"I know Sessh." Inuyasha replied in exasperation.

"And-"

"I Know!" Inuyasha cut him off. "I get it already. If I screw this up, I'm on my own. I'm not even sure why it matters. If I stay I'll be just as dead as I will if I go!"

"Not all the missions have failed. At least this way you have a chance. If nothing else you will die free rather then in chains."

"That's a very comforting thought, thank you." He spat back. Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and sighed.

"So be it. Do try to refrain from making trouble." The older demon passed him a bag as he spoke. "These are the personal effects you can take with you."

"Thanks." He muttered as he shouldered the bag. Sesshoumaru nodded and turned to leave. Inuyasha followed suit as he headed for the nearest transport lift he could think of.

"One more thing." Sesshoumaru's voice stopped him and he looked back. His older half-brother had stopped as well and was half turned to look back at him. His golden eyes, normally so stagnate of emotion, seemed almost to falter. Inuyasha lifted a questioning eyebrow. "Good Luck."


	2. Chapter 2

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Not as many reviews on this one as I expected. But, oh well. Let's see questions: Kagome will be in this chapter along with others. As for Kikyou, she's dead and will stay that way. Even if she did come back to walk the Earth as a soulless zombie, Inuyasha will not be around to torment. I think that's all I can say without giving the story away. Enjoy.

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Foundations of Neo Genesis

Chapter 2

He still could not believe it. The beauty beyond his window was amazing. The points of brightness against the velvet canvas of black were mesmerizing. Inuyasha leaned against the window in his room, staring out into space. The room was nice, much bigger then his room back on Earth. A large picture window made up one wall with shutters that could be opened or closed with the push of a button. A large bed stood against the other wall along with a bookshelf that he left empty. The bed was covered in a soft, synthetic cotton comforter in a soft blue. It matched the over all silvery, dull metal color of the room.

Opposite the bed was a kitchenette, furnished with all the latest appliances. A CHIL (Capsule Health Innervating Loge) stood to one side filled with food capsules, put there to keep them fresh. The CHIL itself was a 3ft cube with a handle and door on one side. Inside were dozens capsules the size of large pills. They were packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Also in the kitchenette was a CAM (Capsule Activation Machine) that turned the capsules into a meal or drink of choice with the right combination of buttons. A small table and chair stood nearby with a bowl of fake fruit for decoration on top. In one corner, mostly hidden from view was a small cleaning droid. 

To the right of the bed was a semicircle indent in the floor lined with two curved couches. The two ends of the couches left just enough room for a short set of steps. A large TV screen rose up from the flat side of the indention, and a small table rose out of the center of it all. The floor of the room was covered in a light blue carpet.

With a sigh, Inuyasha pushed himself away from the window. The truth was, even though it was nice to have all this to himself, he was bored. His life up until now had always had a whirlwind type feel, and all this sitting around just did not suit him. He still had three days until departure, so he still had plenty of time to explore the station.

Inuyasha walked over to the bag Sesshoumaru had left for him. He had not bothered until now to even open it. He did not have much to him name and doubted there would be anything of interest. Inside he found a hand full of currency, enough to keep him happy for a few days, a dagger he had bought sometime ago, and assorted other items of little value. But what surprised him was what he found at the bottom of the bag. An old sword, much like a katana, in a beat up scabbard. The Tetsusaiga, his father's sword and the only thing he owned that he would call priceless. The sword had been given to him when he was very young, though he had never gotten to hold it until he was 15. It was the only heirloom he had from his parents. With a slight smile, Inuyasha tucked the sword back into the bag and pocketed the cash. 

Inuyasha exited his suite into the hall. It was like all other halls on the ship, beige and unadorned with doors evenly spaced on each side. It curved ever so slightly with the shape of the ship and ended in a sliding metal door. He walked out into the bright light of the promenade he had first seen yesterday. It was the middle of the day, at least according to the timekeepers, and most of the people on the station were out. The wide corridor was filled with people and demons walking back and forth. Some would disappear into a store or restaurant or bar, while others seemed to just be window-shopping. 

Inuyasha took the lift down to the lower floor and took a left. He really did not know where he was going, just started walking. The area reminded him somewhat of the shopping centers back on Earth. He had not been to them very often, but knew how they were laid out. The main difference, however, was the occasional bar or dance hall stuck between stores.

His feet carried him down the corridor as he looked into different places without anything catching his attention. It seemed like an hour before he stopped and leaned against the wall. People and demons passed by without noticing him and he soon found himself watching them. Tall, short, blond, brunette, slim, fat, demon, human; just like Earth. A woman walked by with a screaming kid in her arms, and lion demon walked the other way with a shopping bag in each hand. Inuyasha grimaced. He was still the only half-breed he knew, or had ever heard of for that matter. Inuyasha jumped when a hand came down on his shoulder. He spun around and raised his clawed hand in preparation for an attack.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you." The man responded. He was a little taller then Inuyasha, with shoulder length black hair pulled into a low ponytail. The young man was dressed in rodes of black and purple. He held a staff in one hand.

"Feh! You didn't frighten me."

"Of course not. Did you wish to come in?" Inuyasha blinked and looked up. He was standing in front of the station's sanctuary. A large silver colored triangle glistened in the light from overhead: the entrance was covered in red silk. The man was standing near entryway, waiting patiently. Inuyasha could not ever remember being very big in religion, but what could it hurt? He nodded and the priest pulled back the curtain to let him pass.

The room was large, circular in shape, and decorated in reds, golds, and blues. The ceiling was high and showed the stars overhead. To his right hung a curtain of gold silk covering a doorway, in front was a curtain of red silk, and to his left was a curtain of blue silk. For a minute he just stood in the middle of the room looking around. Despite the vibrant colors, the room had little decoration. Only a large silver triangle to match the one outside hung high on the wall.

"Was there something specific you wished to pray for?" The priest appeared at his side. Inuyasha looked away not really comfortable with being in the sanctuary or in the presence of the priest. The man next to him probably had never committed a sin in his life: Inuyasha on the other hand could not count all his. 

"No…" He muttered.

"That's ok." The priest smiled and rested his hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. He either did not notice or did not react to the half-demon's flinch. "If you need anything, my name is Miroku. Though I am only a temporary here. I will be leaving with one of the Neo Genesis groups in a few days.

"Me too…" Inuyasha replied absently as he continued to look anywhere but at the priest. 

"Ahh," Miroku did not seem to notice his guest's lack of attention, "Then perhaps a small prayer to each is what you need." He clapped Inuyasha's shoulder once more before turning to go back out into the main corridor. "If you need anything just ask."

Inuyasha watched him leave before turning back to the room. He stuffed his hands in his pockets uneasily. He had only been a little kid when his mother had last taken him to a service. The only thing he could even remember praying for was to not be caught for whatever he had late done wrong. But maybe the priest was right; a small prayer to each of the gods could help relax the fear that had started to grow in the pit of his stomach.

With a sigh, and a quick check to make sure no one was looking, Inuyasha walked over to the gold curtain and walked in. The room was smaller then the one he had just left, but the high ceiling still opened to the stars. The room was completely decorated in gold and black. A large statue stood against the far wall surrounded in kneeling pillows. The statue was made, or at least coated, in gold. It reminded him vaguely of his brother, only with short, clean-cut hair. The man wore a suit and tie and carried a brief case in one hand. On the brief case was the silver triangle. Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably. It felt wrong standing at the base of Kratos's, the god of work, statue when he had not worked an honest day in his life.

Carefully, as if that statue might smite him, Inuyasha walked over and knelt down on a pillow. He clapped his hands together before bowing forward and touching his forehead to the floor. He rose to his knees but kept his eyes and palms on the floor. His mind cast about for something to pray for. He did not have a job, no real amount of money to his name. Even if he had those things what good would they do him in a couple of days? He raised his eyes to the statue and felt slightly stupid. There was no way he could fathom praying the Kratos helping him right now. With an annoyed grunt, Inuyasha pushed himself to his feet and walked out.

He did not bother to look around, but turned sharply and pushed past the red curtain. The room was like Kratos's chamber, only decorated in shades of red. The golden statue in this room was of a young woman. She wore a nice housedress and an apron around the waist. In one hand she held she held a feather duster and cradled a baby in the other. She was Caru, Goddess of the home and family. This statue too was surrounded in pillows. 

Inuyasha shuffled his feet a bit. Praying to Caru could not help him much either. He was leaving his home and family behind to go to a god-forsaken planet in the middle of nowhere. The half-demon sighed and stiffed his hands into his pockets as he turned away.

He pushed past the crimson curtain again, only just avoiding the priest as he escorted a young woman into Caru's chamber. He took a quick look around to make sure there was no one else around before he darted into the next room.

The blue curtain fell softly into place behind him as he stepped into the room. This one was decorated much like the other two only in blues and greens. It was smaller then the other rooms, and unlike the other two, the ceiling was solid; no stars could be seen. That was not too surprising, however, for he stood in the chamber of the least of the three Gods, Liron: the Goddess of all beyond the realm of the others.

Before him stood a golden statue much smaller then the previous two. It showed a young girl, maybe only 16 years old. She was dressed in a blouse and pair of pants. A flower was stuck behind her ear and a smile played on her lips. Liron looked much more approachable then her adult counterparts. 

Inuyasha looked at his feet for a moment. He had the awkward out-of-place-feeling-again. It felt kind of silly asking a statue for advice. What could it possibly say in return? How could this possibly help?

"Feh! This is stupid!" He snorted, "Why am I even wasting my time?" He turned sharply on his heels and stomped out. He entered the main chamber just in time to hear a loud smack! He turned to see the woman from earlier come storming out of Caru's chamber, her face red and eyes flashing. A moment later the priest appeared from the chamber rubbing the red handprint on his cheek. Inuyasha snorted and walked out.

Back on the promenade he blended into the crowd and moving in the same direction as before. People passed without looking at him and he in turn paid them little mind. His stomach growled and he ducked into a small restaurant. It was dimly lit and a bit hazy, but whether from smoke or to add atmosphere he did not know. He made his way to a booth off to one side and slid into the seat. A waitress came, took his order, and left.

Inuyasha gazed lazily about him. He found the space station very much like Earth. People so caught up in their own lives, bustling about trying to make the most of their time with little regard to those around them. He sighed at the humdrum as his meal arrived, a simple sandwich and a Neptune's Gail. He had barely gotten the first bite into his mouth, when someone called his name.

"Inuyasha!" The half demon choked in surprise. He knew a grand total of two people on the whole station, one of which did not even know his name, and had not been expecting to have some one call out to him. With a few light smacks of his chest he managed to swallow the half-chewed bite before washing is down with his drink. Myouga gave him an apologetic smile as he took the seat across the table.

"Wh- what do you want old man?" Inuyasha coughed irritably. 

"I forgot to tell you the other day that you must go through a short training course. Nothing big, just some things you need to know. It should only take an hour or so. I've made all the arrangements. Just be at the station's ZOOS at 1:00 tomorrow."

"And what will I do when I get there? Stare at the holograms till my eyes bleed?" Inuyasha asked without interest.

"Oh no." Myouga continued as if the half demon were hanging on every word. "Some one will meet you there and teach you everything you need to know. And it will be a chance for you to get to know someone in your group."

"Oh goody…" Inuyasha muttered around a bite of sandwich. Myouga smiled at him as if he had gotten the answer he wanted.

"Oh and, just incase no one told you, meals are free for those in Neo Genesis."

"Free meals to death row, how nice."

"It's more a glory and good luck thing." Myouga responded dryly, "And aren't you too young to drink those kinds of drinks?" Inuyasha looked at him for a moment, then downed the blue colored liquid in a single gulp. Myouga pursed his lips in announce but got up to leave without another word.

The next 24 hours passed much faster then Inuyasha would have liked. Every time he looked up hours seemed to slip passed, as if some one kept resetting the timekeepers when he looked away. At 1:00 he stood outside the ZOOS's entrance though it seemed he had just been in the restaurant with Myouga moments before.

A small finger tapped his shoulder and he turned to find himself looking straight into a pair of bright blue eyes. He blinked and took a step back, regaining his personal space. The person standing next to him was not what he had expected. If anything he had at least expected the person to be male. Before his stood a slip of a human female. Long black hair tumbled down her back and large blue eyes smiled up at him. She was dressed in a simple green shirt and black pants, and held a large flat device to her chest. 

"Excuse me. Are you Inuyasha?"

"Yeah." He replied a little softer then he meant to.

"Oh good, I was afraid you might not show up." She smiled broadly at him. "Come on let's go, I have lots to tell you!" She grabbed his hand and began to pull him along with her. Inuyasha snapped back to reality and yanked his hand away from her.

"Don't touch me!" The girl spun around and looked at him with wide eyes. "Don't ever touch me!"

"I… I'm sorry, I… didn't mean… "

"Just Don't!" The girl took a step back, before turning sharply on the balls of her feet and walking into the ZOOS entrance. Satisfied his point had been made, Inuyasha followed. The girl had lost that bounce in her step as she led him into the room. The room was small and plain. The walls, floor, and ceiling were made of the same gray metal. A man sat in a small booth near a large door. He looked board and was watching some game show on a small screen. The girl walked up to him and gave him a small card. He looked at it with a grunt, then pushed a button. The large door next to him opened with a hiss, letting then pass and shutting behind them.

The ZOOS was like many others he had been in. The air was perfumed with synthetic scents to smell of grass, water, and animals, or at least what people thought they would smell like. The huge area was lit by a bright light overhead to simulate the 20th century sun. Under his feet was a pelt of grass that felt like it was made of soft plastic-alloy. A hidden fan pushed air about, simulating a light breeze. 

Inuyasha breathed deeply. He knew it was fake, a bunch of cheap tricks to fool the senses, but he really did not care. Something about these places always made him feel more alive, more real. He had spent many hours in places just like this in his younger years; not to learn, but to escape. Here he did not have to worry about school, work, money, or the death of his parents. The thick walls blocked out the incessant drown of the city and filled his ears with synthesized bird song. A soft smile tugged at his lips as a large cat like creature walked passed. It paused in its stroll and a screen appeared over its head.

__

American Panther: Extinction year: 2145. Feline, predator. Food included large mammals and fish. Habitat ranged over all of North America at its peak. Length: 1.5, Weight: 103 kilograms. Other Names: Cougar. The screen vanished and the cat moved on passed them as if nothing had taken place.

"So now what wench?" Inuyasha snorted. The girl looked at him sharply, her blue eyes flashing angrily.

"My name isn't wench!"

"Well, you haven't told me your name yet smart ass." She flushed slightly in embarrassment.

"Kagome."

"That's nice." She looked up with a smile, expecting he had had complimented her name. She found his expression instead to be one of boredom. "So what now wench?" She growled softly at him. "What?"

"Let's just go!" She snapped back. Inuyasha shrugged and followed as she marched off. Kagome fumed all the way to a small clearing in the holographic trees, where she sat down in the grass and gestured for him to do the same. Inuyasha huffed and sat with his arms crossed over his chest.

"So why am I wasting my time here?" 

"Think of it as survival training." She replied dryly. Inuyasha gave a bark of laugher.

"YOU are going to teach ME about survival. That's a laugh. I bet you never went to bed hungry in your life."

"Humph." Kagome snorted, "I heard about you. You're just some punk off the streets who had good connections. Well, I'll have you know I've been preparing for this mission for the last four years and if you hope to survive, you had better listen to me."

"Feh!" He replied. Kagome rolled her eyes and put the device she was carrying down in front of her. Inuyasha glanced at it, to find it was that largest PID he had ever seen in his life. Most personal PIDs could easily fit in a jacket pocket and not be noticed, weighing a few ounces at most. But this one was a foot square and had to weigh close to two pounds. "What's that matter, couldn't they afford new equipment?"

"For you information smart ass, this is the most advanced PID (Portable Information Device) to date. And if you are referring to the size, it has to be big enough to collect all the data we learn on the planet. Besides it has a lot of special features for detecting poisons and other things to help us. Now pay attention." She turned back to her PID and began tapping away at the touch screen.

A moment later several of the ZOOS's digital animals emerged around them. But instead of walking or flying as they normally would, the animals floated in. Inuyasha watched as they arranged themselves into a line about a foot off the ground and a bright red line connected them.

"This is called a food chain." Kagome began as she stood up. She walked over to the left end of the 'chain' and pointed to a small black creature that could sit on the end of a finger. Its backward jointed legs stuck up over its body at an odd angle. "This is a cricket." Kagome began, "It is an insect and at the bottom of this food chain." Inuyasha rolled his eyes as she stepped to the next animal. This one was a fish swimming in mid-air. It blue in color with dark green stripes. It was fat and about as long as his forearm. "This is a fish, specifically a Perch. In this chain it eats the cricket."

"Do you really think I don't know this crap?" Inuyasha asked incredulously. Kagome sighed in exasperation.

"I have no idea what you know. I'm just telling you what I had to tell everyone else."

"And how do I know you aren't just making all this up?" Kagome frowned at him and he smirked back.

"You're trying to annoy me aren't you?" It was more a statement then a question. "For your information I have degrees in biology, ecology, and zoology. I most certainly don't need you to tell what I know or don't know."

"But isn't it all just theory?" Inuyasha smirked. Kagome glared at him. "I mean the International Library of Earth History burn to the ground in the late 25th century."

"Some of the records were salvaged."

"Sure, and then mixed up. I'm leaving." He got up and turned his back on her.

"You can't leave!"

"Who's going to stop me? You?"

"But… but…"

"Look little girl, I don't want to be here and neither do you. Let's do us both a favor and just pretend we had this little 'training session'. It'll save us both that much more time." He ignored her protests and walked off into the forest.

Kagome crossed her arms and huffed. What a jerk! Who did he think he was? She was trying to help him and all he did was insult her. Well if he wanted to get himself eaten, it was no skin off her teeth. She returned to her PID and dismissed the animals back into the ZOOS. With a sigh she gathered her things and headed for the exit.

She passed out of the clearing and into the trees before she stopped. Maybe it was not entirely his fault: she had not been all that kind to him either. He started it of course, but maybe he was not used to having people treat him as anything she would call kind. A small smile touched her lips. He was in the same group as she, which meant she had the rest of their lives to prove him wrong.

With renewed spirit, Kagome hurried off. She darted out of the ZOOS entrance, ignoring the man in the booth. The main promenade was bustling as always, but the Kagome passed through the crowd with practiced ease. She had originally found the stations population suffocating, with all the people so close together, held in by the high walls. It reminded her far too much of the over crowded boarding school she had grown up in.

Kagome ducked into a small restaurant tucked neatly between a salon and a dance hall. The room was dimly lit with soft music playing through hidden speakers overhead. Only a few people were seated in the booths, with most of the patron crowded around the bar nursing various drinks. The girl quickly scanned the room before spotting her quarry in a small booth in the back.

Kagome slid into the seat across from a girl with dark brown hair held in a neat high ponytail and chocolate eyes. She wore a perfectly pressed military uniform in deep blue. A number of gold, silver, and bronze colored metals decorated her chest. Carefully applied red eye shadow was her only make-up. Kagome smiled at the other woman.

"Hey Sango."

"Hey Kagome, I thought you had to orient some kid who booked at the last minute."

"He bailed." Kagome shrugged and roll her eyes.

"And you let him?" Kagome did not miss the disapproving tone in her voice.

"It's not like he gave me a choice. Kind of just walked out on me."

"You should have at least tried, you know how important this is." Sango took a sip of amber colored drink.

"I know Sango and I did try, but I can't force him. Besides didn't you walk out on my lecture at the big meeting?" Kagome let a sly smile cross her face. Sango turned her nose in the air indignantly.

"I had military business to attend to." 

"Sango, you haven't worked with the military in over a year. You didn't want to sit through that lecture any more then anyone else."

"Well, biology is a dead science anyway." The military girl protested. "If you wanted people to listen to you, then you should have been an engineer of some sort."

"Gee, thanks." Kagome replied dryly. "So what do you want to do tonight?"

"We should sleep, tomorrow is going to be very full day." Sango replied sagely.

"Yeah, and our last day among civilization. Come on, loosen up." Sango rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Ok Kagome, I guess a little fun will be ok." She downed the rest of her drink in one gulp. "But first I need to change. Can't have fun dressed like this now can I?"


	3. Chapter 3

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A/N1: Updates: _As of the 12th of January I have begun school, and I am currently taking 13 hours. I also have two jobs, one night and one in the early mornings on weekends. I do not get home from work until 1 or2 in the morning and my first class in at 8 or 10 depending on the day. That may sound like plenty of sleep time, but after you've been up 17 hours or so 6-8 hours of sleep isn't enough. I will and do write when I can. And I will get the chapters out as soon as possible, but I can not guarantee my updates with any regularity. If it makes you feel better to harass me, go a head, but I doubt it will help._

****

A/N2: Plagiarism: _It seems as of late that plagiarism is at an all time high. Why, I don't know. But the fact remains that it is. With this rise there also seems to be a rise is the accusation of plagiarism, some of the accused being well known and respected authors. I myself have been approached on this issues by two separate people for two different reasons, and thought I should address my answer to all. _

What Plagiarism is: _Plagiarism is the unauthorized use of someone else's thoughts or words. This means that if you copy a story word-for-word, line-for-line, and/or scene-for-scene, you are plagiarizing._

What Plagiarism is not: _Plagiarism is not similarity in setting, theme, or even plot. There are 5-6 billion people in the world, the chances of you coming up with a completely, totally, never before heard of idea, are next to nill. For an example, JadeWing's story 'Transcending A Dynasty' and my story 'Foundations of Neo Genesis' are both set in the future of Earth. Does this mean I am plagiarizing JadeWing? No, the stories, while they do share a similar setting, are very different. Neither JadeWing nor I have a copyright on 'The-future-of Earth' theme or setting. I hope this clears up some of the confusion that seems to be going on. (On a side note, if you haven't read 'Transcending A Dynasty', go do that. It is an amazing story. You don't even have to search for it, just go to my bio page then my favorite stories list.) _

****

A/N3: Q&A

Q: Did Inuyasha kill Kikyou? 

A: I'll let you decide that for yourselves. Other characters will express their own opinions, but the final decision is your own. 

Q: Do Kikyou and Kagome look alike? 

A: No more so then they do in the manga. In my opinion they don't look that much alike, at least no more so then any other two anime characters. So the answer is, no, they don't look alike.

Q: Why didn't Inuyasha have a bathroom in his room? 

A: They have evolved passed bathrooms and there for do not need them. ^_^; Actually I just forgot.

Q: Why is (insert character name here) in the project? 

A: Everyone has their own reasons for volunteering, these will be revealed as the story unfolds.

****

Foundations of Neo Genesis

Chapter 3

Inuyasha woke to the incessant buzzing coming from somewhere overhead. He opened one eye to see the bright red words 'Call Waiting' printed across his TV screen. Groaning he rolled over to see his timekeeper. He growled to see it was only 9:50. Throwing the comforter off he stormed over to the TV screen and snatched the remote off the small table. After a minute of fumbling he managed to turn off the buzzing and bring up Myouga's face.

"What the fuck do you want? It's 10 freakin' o'clock in the morning!" Inuyasha growled sleepily. The elderly man looked fairly harassed and mildly annoyed.

"Really, kids these days…"

"What the fuck do you want old man?"

"I am calling all the members of your group. You depart today at 11:00. Pack what you wish to bring with you and be sure to eat." 

"Fine whatever…" Inuyasha grumbled before severing the connection. With a stretch and yawn he made his way to the kitchen. He hated being woken up early, he could never get back to sleep afterwards. The half demon opened the CHIL and pulled out a capsule. With out much thought he turned and tossed the capsule into the CAM and pushed a short combination of buttons. Inuyasha's eyes slid closed as he waited for the minute or two it would take the CAM to finish its job. At the sound of the high pitched beep he opened them again and retrieved his finished meal.

Inuyasha took a seat at the small table, setting his plate of bacon, scrambled eggs, and two biscuits in front of him. He ate in silence; the only sound was the steady tonk-tonk-tonk of the timekeeper. After his plate was cleared he took it too the sink and dropped it on top of the others already staked there. For a moment he debated washing them, then changed his mind. He had not ever washed dishes before and he would be damned if he started now.

He glanced up at the timekeeper to see it was now 10:15. The knot tightened in his stomach. 45 minutes from now he would be on the way to his new home, new life, and probably his death at the claws of some monster. The creature from his dreams flashed across his mind again before he shook the image clear. He was not about to let his imagination scare him now. Inuyasha squared his shoulders as he pulled on a fresh pair of clothes. He had been in fights with more then a dozen people against him and won. What could possibly be on that planet he could not handle? It's not like he had a choice anymore any way, if he bailed now it was back to jail.

With a sigh he lifted his bag on to his shoulder and walked out. It was a long walk to the meeting area. The promenade was only now waking up, many of the dance halls and bars were still closed because their business did not really start until late afternoon at the earliest. 

It took less time then he thought it would to reach his destination, but time seemed to have been moving faster then normal these past few days. He stepped into a round room about as large as the one he just left. Several other people were milling about, all holding different bags or packs filled with differing degrees of stuff. Some people's bags were filled to bursting, others, like his own bag, barely had anything in them. Inuyasha leaned up against one of the curving walls and watched as people slowly began to fill the room.

The first person he recognized was the priest for the other day. He was still dressed in his robes and carried a small, almost empty, pack on his back. His dark hair was still pulled into a neat little ponytail that the priesthood required, and a pair of clean robes. Inuyasha shifted his gaze away, not wanting to talk to the man if he did not have to. 

His eyes landed on a kid at least two years his junior. He had long red hair and was dressed in pants and green shirt that looked fairly worn. A long foxtail, its white tip just brushing the ground, gave him away as a demon. Inuyasha shifted his gaze again, not finding anything or anyone particularly interesting. He watched as the room filled with humans and demons as the timekeeper tonked ever closer to the appointed hour.

"May I have you attention please everyone!" a female voice called over the din of chatter. Heads turned to see Kagome standing on a slightly raised platform near the back of the room. Standing slightly behind her was Sango, dressed in camouflage fatigues. When the room had grown quiet, Kagome continued. "Thank you. As you all know I am Kagome Higurashi and I am this mission's science officer. This," She gestured to Sango, "is Sango, she is this mission's official leader. We are here to make sure this mission is a success. Now Sango is going to give you a short brief on what is to come." Kagome stepped back and Sango took her place. 

She pulled a small device out of her pocket and pointed it at the wall behind her and to the left. A flat TV screen slid out of the ceiling and flashed to life. An image of a planet appeared. The orb was surrounded in swirls of blues and greens, the colors twisting and curling about each other but never mixing. A bright band of lavender ringed the planet at a slight angle. It hung against the background of blackness and stars. In one corner of the picture the edge of another sphere could be seen. This one was a solid golden red.

"This is the planet we will be going to. As of now it does not have a name, we will need to give it one eventually. It has two moons, the smallest of which can be seen here. It is warmed by a yellow sun, not unlike Earth's, by the name of Phanes. Of the three planets orbiting Phanes, it is the closest." The screen flashed to a new picture. This one showed an open plain of land covered in high grass. A herd of animals that looked like tan and mahogany zebras splattered the foreground. In the background were other animals that could not be identified clearly and some large birds peppered the blue-green sky. 

"From the pictures our probes have collected, the majority of the planet seems to be covers in these open plains. But there are also many areas covered in forests of various thickness." She pushed a button and the picture changed. This tome was a wooded area with a small stream running through it. A group of fish like creatures could be made out just below the surface.

"There are plenty of fresh water sources available as well. They also hold a number of fish, but we have no knowledge whether or not they edible." She pushed the button again and a new picture flashed into place. The whole room involuntarily jumped back. The picture showed a large single red eye surrounded by black feathers that took up most of the screen.

"Oops." Sango blushed slightly, "We aren't sure what this is. We haven't found any other pictures from our probes that can help us identify this creature. With the feathers we believe it to be a bird, which we have no other close up pictures of, so it was probably just a fluke that the picture was taken at all." Sango continued to flip through several more pictures of scenery and animals, taking a minute or two to explain each. After the last picture had been shown, the screen slid back up into ceiling.

"Now." Sango said in a no nonsense voice, "We will be taking two pods down to the planet. They have automatic pilot so there is no need to worry about steering. The trip will take several hours, so for our comfort and because of limited space we will pass the trip under sedation. If half of you will follow Kagome and the other half will follow me, we will be under way."

Inuyasha pushed off the wall he was leaning against and began to follow the throng towards the back of the room and a pair of doors. He had a scowl planted on his face, but his heart was in his throat. This was it, the last chance to turn back. Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder at the room's main entrance. No, he was no coward. He had faced down tougher odds then this and come out on top. He'd he damned if he backed down now. 

Inuyasha squared his shoulders and followed the group going to the right. He noticed some of the others looked strained and pale. Others looked plain sick. He stepped into the pod to find it was little more then a ring of chairs set closely together. They all faced the middle of the circular room. There was a small space under each chair for their bags. Inuyasha noticed that he had gotten into the same pod as Kagome. The girl was demonstrating how to fasten the safety harness.

Inuyasha took a seat and slid his bag under the chair. He reached up and pulled the harness down. It was stiff, with thick pads around his head. A buckle snapped into place between his legs and padded cuffs for his wrists and ankles. He looked to the side as the buckle next to him clicked into place next to him. The red haired boy he had seen earlier was sitting next to him, offering a kind smile. Up close he could see the boy had deep green eyes.

"Hey, name's Shippou." He offered a hand. Inuyasha hesitated before giving his hand a quick shake.

"Inuyasha."

"Nice to meet you." Shippou leaned back, shifting to get comfortable in the ridged seat. "So what made you volunteer?"

"It was the lesser of two evils." Inuyasha muttered. Shippou turned to look at him again, this time with a more critical eye.

"You're a half demon aren't you." Inuyasha bristled instantly. His lips pulled away from his teeth- showing a pair of impressive fangs, his ears flattened against his skull, and a deep growl rose out of his chest.

"What of it?"

"I meant no harm." Shippou raise his hands in a pacifying gesture, "One of my best childhood friends was a half demon. Of course he didn't live as long as you. Died after a beating from a bunch of older demons…" Shippou looked off in a nostalgically for a moment before shaking it off and smiling again. "But no use living in the past. That's why we're here isn't it?"

"Yeah." Inuyasha relaxed into his seat a bit, the kid did not seem to be of any threat, "So why are you here?"

"Orphan. Parents died when I was only a few months old and I didn't have any other family to take me in. I'm sure you've heard of the system, soon as I hit eighteen they wanted nothing more to do with me. My only marketable skill was art, and that's about as marketable now a days as botany. Figured I probably die alone on the streets if I stayed on Earth. So when I heard about the program I thought it would be a good chance." Inuyasha merely grunted. Shippou opened his mouth to continue when the click of the buckle on Inuyasha's other side drew their attention. Both demons turned to see the priest making himself comfortable.

"Well, well," The priest smiled brightly, "Nice to see you again. I didn't suspect we'd be in the same group. You must forgive me, I see many people a day and I can't always remember names."

"Inuyasha."

"And I'm Shippou." The fox demon called from Inuyasha's far side. "Nice to meet you."

"And I am Miroku, it is nice to meet you as well, Shippou."

"So why are you here?" Shippou asked.

"Ahh, well, I found myself in a loop in my spiritual journey. Everywhere I turned it was the same thing. Wealth, fame, prosperity. No one ever asked for anything different. So many people and yet none that have truly prayed from their hearts. If their request wasn't granted with out any work on their part, then they turned their backs on the Gods. I wanted to feel as if I where doing some good." Inuyasha looked at him skeptically.

"And a captive female population has nothing to do with it."

"I am a man of the cloth." Miroku replied coolly.

"Uh huh, right." Inuyasha snorted, "I was there when you harassed that girl in Caru's chamber. Remember?" Shippou gasped audibly, and a hint of embarrassment touched Miroku's cheeks.

"You saw that did you?" Inuyasha snorted in distaste.

"Ok, listen up everyone." Kagome's voice cut into their conversation. She was seated almost directly across from Inuyasha and the last one to get her safety harness snapped into place. Inuyasha wondered why she was here. She was obviously smart and could do well in this world if she chose to. He pushed the thought aside to mull over later. "In a few moments we will be taking off. Be sure your restrains are securely fastened or the landing may cause injury. Place your wrist and ankles into theirs respective restrains to keep them in place. Don't worry they will release automatically after we land." There was a round clicking as everyone complied. "Now try to relax as the gas fills the cabin. It won't hurt you, just make you sleepy."

Almost as soon as she spoke a hissing noise filled the room. Jets of yellow-orange gas shot up from the floor in front of every other chair. Inuyasha watched as the gas rose from the floor in front of Shippou and Miroku. The demon and priest both instinctively moved away from the gas, pushing themselves as far back into their seats as possible. Slowly their muscles relaxed and the slumped into place.

The first whiff of the flower gas hit Inuyasha's nose and his head got light. His fist clenched as he tried to keep hold of his senses. His eyes felt heavy and his muscles quickly began to relax of their own accord. Inuyasha held his breath against the invasion, but his he quickly found it harder then it should be. He inhaled sharply and his head spun. Inuyasha's head rolled to the side. The last thing he saw as his vision blurred and his eyes closed was Kagome resting peacefully.

'She looks so…' he never finished the thought.

Myouga watched on the video monitor as each of the occupants dropped off to sleep one by one. A smile played on his lips as Inuyasha fought the gas. Not that he expected less from the rebellious young man. Next to him Sesshoumaru stood silently, his eyes trained on his younger half-brother. A message flashed across the screen indicating the gas release had finished. 

Myouga reached over and pushed a button. The words 'Pod 15 & 16 Released' flashed across the screen as the camera cut off the view into the pods. Myouga and Sesshoumaru turned around to see the two egg-shaped pods float away from the main ship. A moment later boosters flamed to life and the pods pushed off into space.

"How long do you think it will take for the judges to realize the papers aren't real?" Myouga asked with out looking at the demon next to him.

"Does it matter? Inuyasha is beyond their reach now."

"True, but what about you?"

"He is my brother, a minor charge against my impeccable record is worth it." Myouga merely nodded.

"Do you think Inuyasha really killed that woman."

"My brother is many things Myouga," Sesshoumaru answered slowly, "He's irresponsible, inconsiderate, hot-headed, short-tempered, and generally uncouth. But he is no murderer."

********************************************************

Inuyasha let out a groan as he opened his eyes. His head still felt light, but the feeling was quickly clearing. His eyes opened slowly as he tried to gain his bearings. Across from him he saw Kagome lift her hand from the unfastened restraint and rub her eyes. All around him others were starting to wake, yawns and groans filling the as the gas wore off. Inuyasha reached down and unfastened the main harness, pushing it over his head and off his shoulders as he stood up. He stretched his arms over his head and listened as his back popped into place. Several others followed his example and picked up their bags.

"So did we make it?" Shippou asked as he stood up. The question hung in the air for a moment.

"We aren't dead." Inuyasha answered in a voice that was a far less optimistic then his words suggested.

"Thank you mister sunshine." Kagome retorted dryly, "I can see you area delight to spend time with." Inuyasha grinned at her showing his over sized canines. Kagome rolled her eyes and began to make her way to the door. She stepped around a girl with blond hair; short-cropped hair and fluffy cat-tail tipped in black. She had matching ears atop her head. Kagome smiled at her before punching in a code on the pad near the door. 

The door gave a hiss before falling outward, light flooded into the pod. Several people shut their eyes against the sudden brightness. Slowly Kagome opened her eyes and looked out the opening. Before her lay a sea of green that waved and rolled before a gentle wind. Her lungs filled with air so fresh she could taste it. Water and earth fill her senses to the brim and left her feeling almost light headed. 

Carefully she took a step out of the pod and placed her foot on the ground. The soft dirt gave way under her shoe. A smile crossed her face as she lifted her foot to see the impression she had left. A giggle rose in her throat.

"I left a foot print." She announced with almost child like excitement. 

"Good for you. We are all so proud." Came a sarcastic reply from somewhere in the back of the pod. Kagome could easily guess who that was.

"Jackass." She muttered under her breath before stepping out into the sun. The light was far brighter then anything she was used to and she had to shade her eyes with her hand for a moment. Around her others were carefully stepping out of the pod. Many of them had to cover their eyes completely against the blinding lights, slowly moving their hands away as their eyes adjusted.

Inuyasha waited impatiently for those between him and the door to get out. He could already smell the area. His hypersensitive nose was already picking up all sorts of scents he was itching to investigate. As his turn came he practically pushed a boy with sandy brown hair out the door. The light hit his eyes and he instantly covered them. Slowly he moved his hands up, shading his eyes as they adjusted. He could almost feel his slit pupils thin to nothing but black vertical lines.

Finally, with a few clearing blinks, Inuyasha took his first good look around. All around he could see green grass that came up to his waist. In the distance he could make out some trees reaching up to the sky. Overhead was a flat plain of blue green dotted with soft milky clouds. His nose filled with scents he could not even begin to place. After a lifetime of smoke, smog, and processed oxygen, the air was almost euphoric. He turned to see people emptying out of the other pod that had landed only a few meters away. He was not sure how they had landed without causing huge craters, but it looked as if some one had gently placed two giant eggs in the middle of the grass sea. 

One thing was for sure; The ZOOS had nothing on this place.

"Now what?" Shippou asked at his side. Inuyasha looked down at the slightly shorter demon and shrugged.

"Don't know, ask science girl over there. She's running this show." He had barely gotten the words from his mouth when a shrill whistle cut the air, causing the demons in the group to cover their more sensitive ears.

"Can I have everyone's attention please?" Sango called over the crowd, "I know everyone is excited, but we do have things that need to be done."

"Ok," Kagome picked up where Sango had left off. "Our first objective is to find shelter. We don't know much about nights here so it has to be somewhere that has enough room for all of us and provides safety from the elements and any hostile fauna. I suggest heading in the direction of those trees. If nothing else they will provide some shade from this light. Our next objective will be to find a water source as soon as possible. We do have some water with us, but it will only last so long. Sango and I are also carrying a supply of Food Capsules, but we will need to start finding our own food as soon as possible. Now lets get moving."

Kagome began walking in the direction of the tree line, leaving everyone to follow or be left behind.


	4. Chapter 4

__

Well another chapter is finished, and I'm sorry it took so long. I've finally gotten used to my schedule so I'm not so tired any more. Unfortunately, I now have insomnia and midterms. Fate is out to get me I think. Anywho on to the questions:

Q: Did I get the idea form inuchan1282's fic 'The Last of Us'? 

A: Nope, never heard of it. If any thing I'd say JadeWing inspired this through the idea of centering a fic around a political idea. I'll give a cookie to anyone who can tell me what idea I'm working off of.

Q: Why no famous words from Kagome? 

A: Nope, What good are famous words when no one is there to record them. Besides she doesn't have Neil Armstrong's speechwriter.

Q: What the planet ever explored by people or just unmanned probes. 

A: Just the probes.

Foundations of Neo Genesis

Chapter 4

"Are we there yet?" Kagome spun around to glare at the offender, a boy by the name of Ricky. He was a large boy with a mop of unruly blond hair, which was currently matted to his head with sweat. It was the fifth time he had asked that question in the last half an hour. They were still a good march from the tree line that she had indicated earlier, and his constant prodding was starting to grate on her nerves. He stared back at her with watery eyes and flushed cheeks, like a child pleading for candy from an unwilling mother. Kagome wondered how he passed the physical fitness requirements, and then brushed it off. What was done was done, and there was no changing it now.

"For the love of the gods shut up!" Inuyasha shouted from behind the boy. Ricky jumped a came face to face with the growling half-demon. "We'll be there when he we get there! I'm so fucking sick of listening to you whine!" Kagome felt a small welling of gratitude for the half-demon when the boy cringed away. She cast Inuyasha a smile before turning back around to continue the trek.

Inuyasha could not help the tug at the corner of his mouth after the girl had turned her back on him. For the first time they had agreed on something. He shook his head and pushed the thought away. An image of Kikyou floated passed his mind and a frown crossed his face. Kikyou had been the only person never held his breeding against him, everyone else, no matter what their social status, had always snubbed him. Now Kikyou was gone because he had not been there to protect her like he promised. Whether there or not, it had been his claws that ripped her flesh, her death was still on his hands. He would be damned if opened himself to that kind of pain again.

Inuyasha lifted his eyes up to look at the tree line. It was still a good distance away, at least another half an hour walk. He had also noticed the distinct lack of animal life so for. But then, two giant eggs falling from the sky probably had sent anything that saw them scattering for cover. The image of that single red eye came back to him, before he shook it off. Whatever it was it was not around now, so there was no need to worry. 

The group continued their march in silence; each member lost in their own thoughts or the scenery that surrounded them. As the trees grew nearer the sun had begun its downward journey and the heat of the day was reaching its peak. Kagome took some readings and found that it was not so much the heat as the humidity that was making it unbearable. The temperature was hovering just above 70 degrees, but the saturation in the air made it feel well into the 90s. The only relief was a steady breeze at their backs.

Strangely it was that very same breeze that was making Inuyasha uncomfortable. It was not that it was making him feel worse, but having the wind against his back made him feel as if he was somehow blind. His ears kept twitching on top of his head, trying to pick up on something his eyes could not see. A quick glance told him many of the other demons in the group were feeling the same. He also noted that Kagome seemed to be on high alert as well.

His ears suddenly snapped forward, picking up on the tiniest rustle of the grass just in front of them. On instinct he reached forward and snatched both Kagome and Sango back by their shirts, both giving a surprised yelp at the sudden change of direction. The grass only a few feet in front of them sprang to life. A number of small, red-brown deer with black spots leapt up and began bounding away. The whole herd bounced off towards the trees; occasionally one or two would spring high into the air and kick out with its hind legs in a display of youth and strength. They reminded Inuyasha of the gazelle he had seen in the ZOOS.

"Pretty." The cat girl, who had been identified as Kirara, cooed. The deer bounded off in a flourish of color and disappeared between the trees. Kagome turned to look up at Inuyasha as he released his hold on the two girls; a slight smile crept on to her face as she muttered a 'thanks'. Inuyasha snorted and looked away as Sango brushed invisible dust from her clothes.

"Let's go, were almost there." Inuyasha grunted as he took the lead. Sango and Kagome both protested to the usurping as they hurried to catch up to him.

"Who died and put you in charge." Sango snapped.

"No one, but if I have to listen to 'Rickety' ask that god damned question once more I'm going to have to kill him." 

"People would probably like you more if you were less of an ass." Kagome scolded. As much as she was inclined to agree with him on the matter of Ricky, it did not give him the right to push others around. Where did he get off thinking like that?

"I don't care if people like me." He answered flatly, "No one ever has, why should they start now?" Kagome was too floored to respond. Inuyasha continued walking as if nothing of note had been said, leaving everyone else to follow in his wake. Kagome sighed to herself, she knew his type, and he would just dig his heels in if she tried to pry.

The rest of the trek was uneventful and they reached the cover of the trees with plenty of light left in the day. It was still unbearably humid, but the shade of the trees blocked out the direct beating of the sun. 

The forest cut a distinct line in the plains. Rather then an expected shrubby area the trees were jammed up against the tall grass with out any sort of merger. The grass fell away at the tree line giving way to undergrowth of short, woody plants, none taller then a foot in height. The leaves of the plants were thick and grew close to the short branches. Other plants grew almost flush with the ground, half hidden under a think layer of leaves.

The trees were nothing like the ones on Earth. The trunks were thick, like the Redwoods that once grew in the American west only nowhere near as tall. The group paused for a rest in the shade as Kagome took measurements. Inuyasha rolled his eyes. What purpose could she possibly find in knowing the exact molecular composition of a plant anyway? 

He leaned his head back against the smooth bark and closed his eyes. The breeze shifted over his skin, taking away the sweat that had collected and cooling him. His shirt was sticking to his chest in an annoyingly uncomfortable manner. He was about to pull it off when the wind shifted and a smell filled his nose.

Inuyasha sat up and sniffed the air. It smelled crisp and clean in an almost immaculate way. It was filled with vegetation and earth, but the smell that held his attention was the one of water, so like and yet unlike the synthetic water of Earth. Its very essence enticed him closer. With out a word he rose to his feet.

"Hey, Inuyasha, where are you going?" Miroku called after him.

"I smell water." was the only answer he gave. Behind him everyone else climbed to their feet faster than their exhausted state seemed to allow. Kagome and Sango called after them in protest. Inuyasha ignored them, following his nose towards the thing that would cool his parched throat.

As he walked he noticed without interest that the trees were getting thinner and began growing closer together the deeper he got. The undergrowth was also thickening and growing slightly taller. Inuyasha pushed passed all of them, tromping towards his destination without regard to his wake or the racket he was making

With a final push he emerged into a small clearing banking a river. The water was not particularly wide and probably only knee deep at the most. It bubbled around large rocks as it hurried along its well-carved path. Inuyasha involuntarily licked his lips and moved toward the liquid as if it were calling to him. He was just dropping to his knees when a hand snatched the back of his shirt and yanked him back. 

"Will you _stop_!" He wheeled his arms to catch his balance before rounding on the one who stopped him. He found himself face to face with Kagome.

"What is your problem, bitch!?"

"You are! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Getting a drink stupid!"

"You have no idea what's in that water."

"I bet Hydrogen and Oxygen!"

"And thousands of unknown bacteria, viruses, and the Gods only know what animals could be hiding there to bite you in half at the right moment!" Inuyasha growled, his ears lying flat against his head.

"You think you know everything! So what do you suggest, we all die of thirst? Maybe next you'll tell me we can't hunt because it would cause undue harm to the poor little animal!" Kagome gave a frustrated groan. 

"You are a pompous, arrogant, jackass! I was assigned to this mission to keep you alive if at all possible. I don't carry this equipment around because I get off on it. I have it so I can find out if the food we eat and the water we drink is going to kill us. Now if you can get your ego-flooded brain to hold on for one moment, I'll see if this water is safe to drink. Of course if you just can't wait, go ahead. If it doesn't kill you, then the rest of us can follow suit." Inuyasha snorted, before turning his head to the side and crossing his arms over his chest. "Good."

Kagome marched back to her bag, which she had left at the tree edge of the trees with Sango, who was using all her military training not to laugh. Several other members of the group were less subtle. Kagome blushed as she realized that the entire group was now staring at the quarrelling pair. She hid her face as best she could as she bent down and began digging through her bright yellow pack. After a bit of shuffling she stood up with a small, flat device about the size of her palm. It was silver with a black spongy looking pad covering half of it and a digital read out on the other half. In her other hand was a small pipette.

She brushed past the still steadily growling half-demon, as she tried not to look directly at any of the other staring faces. Kagome knelt near the water's edge and dipped the tip of her pipette into the water. She drew up a little water and deposited it on the black sponge of her device. The machine made a whirling noise for a moment, the read out flashing numbers and words scrolling steadily down the screen. Kagome watched it carefully until it came to a stop.

"Ok, now you can have a drink?" She confirmed. Inuyasha frowned at her as he uncrossed his arms and moved again to the water's edge. He glared at the girl near his feet. Kagome stared back at him with all the defiance she could muster.

"You're still a bitch." He growled before knelling down and taking a long drink.

"And you seem to always need the last word."

"Do not." He paused long enough to answer.

"Right."

"Shut up." Kagome sighed, resigning herself to be the bigger person in this situation. She cupped her hands and dipped out some water. Inuyasha, she noticed, simply stuck his face into river, his long white hair falling into the water and being swept into her way. He was also making loud slurping sound as he drank.

"Pig." She muttered under her breath as she dipped her hands back into the water.

"Dog actually." He replied.

"Same difference."

"Fuck you." Kagome rolled her eyes again and when back to her drink.

Inuyasha was only half-paying attention to the irritating girl to his left. His main focus was the cool liquid rolling down his dry throat. He could not remember being this thirsty in his life. Of course he had never gone that far under his own power before. On Earth if he, or any sensible person for that matter, had to go any measurable distance he took the inter-city-tram. It could carry you from the New York distract to the Los Angeles district in just under two hours, if you took the non-stop tram. It was very convenient considering most people commuted one way or the other.

After he took the last swallow he felt he could hold Inuyasha splashed some of the refreshing water on his face. It cooled his sun and humidity abused skin and, if the run off was any indication, took off a thin layer of dirt as well. He sat up on his knees, enjoying the breeze that cooled his face as the water evaporated. Inuyasha frowned as the feeling of some one staring at him invaded his moment of bliss. 

He half-expected to see that irritating girl glaring at him, so he jumped in surprise when he found Kirara in his face. Her sapphire eyes were looking at him in concern, and he cat ears were focused on him. Inuyasha leaned back, trying to regain a bit of his personal space.

"Are you feeling ok?" Kirara asked as she placed the back of her hand against his forehead, "You look flushed." Inuyasha winced at the contacted. "And you feel a little warm."

"I'm fine." He snapped, pushing her hand away.

"You do look a little flushed." Kagome commented, concern evident in her voice despite their resent spat.

"You're one to talk." He snorted. Kirara turned her attention to the young scientist. A frown crossed her face and she looked around at the other group members. Then she raised her hand and touched her own cheek, which was slightly pink. She flinched slightly, then the edge of her mouth turned up slightly sardonic fashion.

"Sunburn. We all got sunburned." 

"A what?" Sango asked, flinching away from her own touch.

"The sun is too far away to burn." Shippou protested as he splashed some more cooling water on his face.

"Not true." Kirara countered, "I learned about it in nursing school. People use to have all sorts of trouble with sunburns, but that was before the pollution blocked out the sun. I don't remember the details, but it will go away in a few days. None of us are going to feel very good in the morning. Eventually though the melanin in our skin should react to protect us from this."

"How long will that take?" Ricky asked with his usual whine. "I feel all hot and it kind of hurts." Inuyasha growled in annoyance.

"A few days at least." Kirara answered passively, "Till then we need to stay out of the sun as much as we can."

"Great." Kagome muttered. "Well, no use sitting around here. We need to find some where to set up camp for the night."

"What?" Miroku asked. He had been resting against a tree with his eyes closed. "What's wrong with staying right here? The Gods know this is the best place we've found all day."

"True but it isn't safe to camp near a water hole."

"Why?" Shippou sighed as he sprawled out on the short grass lining the bank.

"Because predators will be hunting here." Kagome replied patiently as she collected her things.

"Predators?! Didn't you send some one in to cull all of those horrible things out?" A girl with long brunette hair squealed. Kagome let out a long suffered sigh.

"No, and we aren't going to either. Now lets go."

"We're all going die!" Ricky whimpered.

"I hope you go first. At least then I can die in peace." Inuyasha snapped. At the front of the group Kagome sighed again. Sango patted her companion on the shoulder as they began making their way back into the forest. The other members of the party slowly got to their feet and followed, most grumbling and complaining. 

Kagome looked up as she and Sango lead the group back into the forest. The sun was occasionally peeking between the leaves of the thick canopy. The humidity was worse here, but the shade made up for the heat. Unseen birds chirped and called overhead and small, gnat-ish insects buzzed about them. She was hoping to find a small clearing of some sort, but luck seemed to be against her. Behind her the other members of the group were making it quite apparent that they wanted to stop, now. Sango must have sensed the group's unease as well.

"Here looks like a good spot, doesn't it Kagome." The ex-military officer asked. Behind them they heard the group drop to the group with a small cheer.

"I guess so." Kagome agreed dryly as she looked over her shoulder, "They'll probably kill me if I make them move again." She let her bag drop to the ground with a thud before following suit. She knew they had things to do before they settled in for the night, but she was too tired to care at the moment.

Sango took a seat nearby, leaning back against a tree. Of all the people here, she was the only one not panting. Her father had been in the military, as had his father and his father before him, and had always stressed the importance of being in shape and prepared. You could never be too prepared, in her opinion.

Inuyasha lay back in the grass and closed his eyes. His ears kept swiveling on his head as they picked up on the thousands of noises going on around him. Miroku was praying, his voice a low mutter in ancient words. Shippou was chatting tiredly with that nurse, something about the treatment of the group's collectively burned skin. Overhead birds, well hidden amongst to foliage, sang, twittered, and chirped in the dyeing light of the day. An insect chorus was just tuning up in its sanctuary of grass. The half-demon breathed deeply, enjoying the sweet air that filled his nose. 

"We need a fire." Kagome's tired voice drifted over the low drone of the group.

"Why?" Someone asked. "The light will only keep us up."

"Besides we're hot enough."

"Do you want to eat or would you rather starve?" Kagome griped back, her voice edged with annoyance and exhaustion. 

"Besides, the light will keep animals at bay." Sango added without opening her eyes. Ricky squeaked. "Everyone just toss whatever dry wood is sitting around you to the center." With an excess of groans and moans the group did as Sango instructed. 

The pile was meager at best, no more then a small pile of twigs and small sticks. Kagome sighed, this would not make much of a fire and on the off chance it did, it would not last all night.

"We need bigger branches."

"So break some off the trees." Shippou suggested. Kagome shook her head.

"Live wood will only cause smoke."

"Then I shall go fetch some more." Miroku said rising to his feet. Kagome beamed at him.

"Thank you…"

"Miroku, and no thanks are needed. As a priest it is my duty to help those in need." He gave her a charming smile, "Besides I'd do anything to see such a beautiful smile on such a pretty face." Kagome blushed and several other girls cooed. Inuyasha made a gagging noise.

"I bet he's a pervert." Sango said after the priest had disappeared into the trees.

"Sango, you're such a cynic." 

It did not take long for Miroku to return with the required wood, and Kagome set to work lighting the evening fire. Inuyasha watched with mild amusement as she struck the two stones, flint she called it, together to make sparks. Still the thick sticks would not catch. The sun slowly dipped below the horizon and a chill crept into the air. The group started to complain, this time because they were getting hungry. Still Kagome could not get a fire going.

"Do any of you know how to start this blasted thing, because if you do I'd love to see it!" Kagome snapped back at one particularly rude assault on her character.

"I know how." Inuyasha replied in a bored tone. For a moment Kagome thought she was imagining things. Inuyasha had been lying flat on his back for over an hour and she was sure he had fallen asleep. She would have thought she was hearing things or having wishful thinking, if not for the way the Shippou was looking at him.

"What did you say." Inuyasha sat up, bracing his weight on his elbow, to fix her with a sore look.

"I said: I. Know. How." He spoke in exaggerated slowness as if she were a dimwitted child. Kagome fixed him was an exasperated glare.

"Then why haven't you helped me."

"You didn't ask." He replied with a shrug and flopped back down in the grass.

"Light the damn fire!"

"I take orders from no one, least of all a stupid wench like you." Kagome ground her teeth together and clinched her fists. She took a deep breath and counted to 10, then to 20. Finally she released her breath, and did her best to relax. Sango was eyeing her cautiously as she edge farther away.

"Would you _please_ help me light this fire?" Kagome asked in a polite voice through clinched teeth.

"I guess." Inuyasha sighed as if taking on some great burden. He rolled smoothly to his feet and strode across the small clearing. With nimble fingers he took up the two stones in one hand and a bunch of sticks and dry leaves the other. "The key to building a fire, 'Miss. I Have More Education Then Any One-Person Needs', is to start small. You can't expect a tiny spark to light a huge stick." He clicked the stones together sending a shower of bright orange into the small pile of dead tree parts as he had seen Kagome do earlier. The tiny sparks landed on leaves and began to smoke. Thin streamers of silver rose into the air for a few seconds before the breeze whisked it away. 

Inuyasha frowned and shifted so he sat with his back to the wind. He tucked his long hair out of the way and struck the stones together again. This time the sparks turned to weak flames, feasting on the leaves and moving to the twigs. Under the curious gaze of the group he began slowly adding larger and larger pieces of wood until he had a nice size fire going. Inuyasha rolled back into a sitting position.

"And that, wench, is how you make a fire. Now, get cooking, I'm hungry." Kagome resisted the urge to throw something at him. She huffed in annoyance before pulling a small cooking pot, a pouch of Food Capsules, and the canteen she had filled earlier. Kagome poured the water into the pot and dropped a capsule in. After a minute or two she frowned.

"I guess we'll be having soup tonight." Bowls were passed out and the soup was served. It seemed everyone was too hungry to care that it was thin and tasteless. After the food was gone most of the group settled down and dozed off.

"Hey, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked quietly as she sat down next to him. He opened an annoyed lazy eye to look at her.

"What?"

"I was wondering, I mean they explained it in class, but none of them have ever dealt with an actual fire before. And well, you seem to know what you're doing. So I was wondering…"

"Spit it out already."

"How do you keep a fire going?"

"Awww, is 'I know everything' asking for advice."

"And you're still a jackass. Are you going to help me or not."

"Don't get your panties in a knot." He snorted with a roll of his eyes. "Just make sure it has plenty of fuel, but don't add to much at once or you'll smother it."

"Thanks." Kagome's voice was soft. Inuyasha snorted and shrugged. Both lapsed into silence, listening as the sounds of the night took over their senses. "Inuyasha?"

"Humn…" He groaned, as she pulled him again from sleep.

"Where did you learn to build a fire?"

"The streets. Gets cold at night." Kagome gave a soft 'oh' in response. Another long silence.

"Inuyasha?"

"For the love of the Gods what?" Kagome was nonplused by the curt tone.

"Why did you join this mission? You don't seem the type." This time Kagome flinched when he rounded on her. His golden eyes flashed dangerously and his lips pulled back in a snarl. A very real growl rose from his chest.

"That's none of your fuck business bitch! Now go to sleep and quite being nosy!"

"I have first watch." Her voice sounded small even in her own ears, "Some one has to keep the fire going."

"Fine! Just leave me alone." He rolled over with a grunt, leaving Kagome with only her thoughts.


	5. Chapter 5

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A/N:_ hides from raging mob I'm sorry about the long wait. School is an evil, evil thing that has consumed my life as of late. I had a ton of tests and a term paper to do, then there was finals. For those of you who have been keeping up with my bio on ff.net, you also know I had a stint of writer's block. Again I'm sorry. But do not fret. In my spare moments I'm been sketching different things that will appear in later chapters (i.e. Plants, animals, landscape). Please understand that when I say I 'sketched' these, I mean it in the broadest sense of the word. I'm just not much of an artist. Anyway to questions:_

****

Q:Did Inuyasha kill Kikyou?

****

A:I think I need to go back and take another look at the last chapter, because I got this one a lot. The answer is: No. Inuyasha did not kill Kikyou, he just feels that she died because of what he was and he was not there to protect her. I will look into this and see if I can clear up the confusion.

I think that is the only question I can answer without jumping ahead in the story. I also got one guess on the underlying political message in the story from **Patchcat**. Utopia was a good guess, and right to some extent, but not quiet what I was going for.

Foundations of Neo Genesis

Chapter 5

The first thought to enter Inuyasha's mind when he woke was '_ouch_'. His whole body hurt. The sun-abused skin on his arms and face felt as if thousands of hot needles were piercing him. To top it off, his muscles were sore from the long trek yesterday. He opened his eyes, only to slam them shut again with a groan. The sun was up and shining brightly already. He rolled over, only to instantly regret it. Every blade of grass, leaf, and grain of dirt felt like sandpaper against his skin.

Inuyasha pushed himself to his knees, despite the protest of his muscles. Shading his eyes from the harsh morning light he took in his surroundings. People were lying on the ground, some curled around themselves for warmth, and others stretched out. A couple, like himself, were in the beginning stages of waking. The fire had burned out during the night.

He noticed that Kagome was already sitting up and appeared to be fully awake. Her oversized comp was sitting on the ground in front of her crossed legs. Floating in midair over the comp screen was what appeared to be a slowly rotating landscape. Kagome reached into the slightly transparent hologram and touched a spot on the plains (creating a red dot), a spot in the forest, and a spot on a set of cliffs. Then she typed in something on the comp's keypad. Numbers and words scrolled across the screen too fast for Inuyasha's tired mind to register, but whatever it said on it made Kagome sigh.

"When's breakfast?" Inuyasha groused. Kagome cast him an annoyed sidelong look.

"Good morning to you too." She replied. "I found some fruits that are edible," She thumbed to a pile just off to his left, "But I haven't tried any of them, so I don't know what they taste like. If you're feeling brave, knock yourself out. Just don't eat all of them, the other's have to eat too."

"Keh." He snorted and pushed himself to his feet, moving to the pile of fruit. He had seen pictures of the fruits that used to grow on Earth. These were nothing like that. He picked up a red fruit about the size of a softball, and slightly oblong. It was firm, and had a soft, sweet smell. Turning it over in his hand, Inuyasha took a bite. The bite came out with a delicate crunch. Carefully, the half-demon chewed the piece in his mouth. It had a bland taste, with a hint of underlying sweetness. It was not much to his taste, but it felt good to have some food in his stomach.

"Would you hand me one of those purple ones?" Kagome asked without looking away from her comp display. Inuyasha shrugged and grabbed a small, pear-shaped fruit from the pile. He walked back over to the girl and plopped down next to her. He extended the requested fruit and she took it with only a muttered thanks, not bothering to look up from her hologram.

Inuyasha watched lazily as she took a bite from her fruit, her mind still on whatever had held her attention the last few minutes. The inside of the fruit was a flaming red-orange with a texture like a plum. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she spit the bit of purple and red-orange fruit out, right through her hologram, which flickered. Inuyasha patted her back as she coughed and grabbed for her water canteen. Only to remember she had emptied it for soup last night. In a panic she snatched Inuyasha's fruit and took a bite out of it. Inuyasha found himself too amused to protest.

"I thought you said it was edible." He chuckled. Kagome managed to compose herself enough to glare at him.

"Edible meaning it won't kill us, not that it would taste good." Raising an eyebrow Inuyasha retrieved the purple fruit from where it had been abandoned. He lifted it to his nose and sniffed. The spicy scent made his eyes water and his throat seize up. He coughed and snorted to clear his senses as he tossed the fruit away.

"Guess that'll teach ya, you can't learn everything from books." Kagome pursed her lips at him, "I guess I'll be getting myself another piece of fruit, since you ate mine." Kagome looked down to see the hard single seed of Inuyasha's former fruit in her hand. A blush crept across her face, but he was already gone.

"So, O'-great-and-fearless-leader," Shippou said as he seated himself next to her, "Do we get to name all these things, or has some greater power already done that for us?" The young fox demon was eating a fruit that with a rough, deep green outside, smooth, lime-colored on the inside, and shaped like a gourd.

"We get to name them."

"I think the purple ones should be called Spice Fruits." Inuyasha called from across the clearing. "Do you want another taste to make sure?" Kagome threw a rude gesture over her shoulder, only to have him laugh at her. "I didn't know they taught you that in school Bookworm." Gritting her teeth, Kagome chunked the large seed at the half-demon. Inuyasha, much to her disgust, caught it easily and gave her a bright grin.

"Jerk." She muttered.

"Sooo…" Shippou drew her attention away from the bane of her existence, "What's on the schedule today?"

"See these cliffs?" She pointed to the plateau in her hologram. Shippou nodded. "According to the readings taken when this planet was being assessed, they are made of a soft rock. They should be easy to carve caves out of for shelter." Shippou made a face.

"But those are at least twice the distance we traveled yesterday. Then we have to dig out caves!"

"They would have been a lot closer if we hadn't missed our landing spot." Kagome defended. "Besides, that is the optimum spot to ensure our survival. There we will have shelter, and a cave is the most defendable spot in case of attack."

"Attack?" Miroku asked from her other side, "From what?"

Kagome shrugged. "Whatever feels like attacking us; animals maybe." She tapped a few keys on her comp and the hologram vanished. She gathered her stuff up and tucked it into her pack, but put the comp under her arm. "If you haven't grabbed your breakfast yet, hurry up. We need to get moving if we want to cover as much ground as possible before dark."

"But it's still early…" Ricky whimpered. A petite mouse-haired girl next to him, Jamie, nodded in agreement as she rubbed her eyes. Kagome frowned.

"Gods, you're lazy." Inuyasha snapped, "Get up!" Ricky yelped and hurried out of the half-demon's path, along with several other people. Inuyasha pulled his bag onto his shoulder and grabbed a few extra pieces of fruit. Kagome gave him a questioning look, which he ignored, before turning and walking in the direction of their destination. She resisted the urge to look back and make sure everyone was following. She was not the keeper of everyone in the group and had no desire to be seen as such. All the same, she let out a breath she did not know she was holding when the sound of footfalls fell into step behind her.

The day was quickly proving to be as warm as the day before, but the shade of the trees cut down on the amount of direct sunlight hitting their burned skin. Kagome tried to keep her mind on where they were going, but she kept drifting back to a certain half-demon. He was a mystery to her. One minute he was insulting and making fun of her, the next he was supporting her lead. She sighed, already knowing that talking to him would be a waste of time.

Inuyasha glanced up at the sound of sigh. Kagome was walking with a slightly slumped posture. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. She was a mystery to him. He had never known anyone to put so much energy into books and school. Yet, as far as he could tell, she had no leadership skills. Her lithe form and soft voice just did not inspire confidence. And it seemed she was already giving up. A growl rose in his throat.

"Hey, you ok?" Inuyasha's head snapped around to face Shippou. The fox demon had a single eyebrow raised in question.

"Fine." Inuyasha huffed, but his eyes betrayed him by sliding back to Kagome. Shippou followed his gaze.

"She is easy on the eyes."

"So is a well made knife." Inuyasha retorted. Shippou raised an eyebrow again.

"Cynical much?"

"Experienced, runt."

"Hey, I've had a few women in my day." Shippou snorted in mock hurt.

"Of course you have." Miroku agreed with a large grin and slapped the young fox on the back, "We all enjoy the cut out pink paper hearts of our grade school days." Shippou stuck out his tongue.

"What would a priest know about women anyway?"

"I don't recall celibacy being in the job description." Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the two. His attention was once again drawn to the girl leading the way. Her posture had taken on more confidence, but it still bothered him. In his life he had learned that confidence could be the difference between living and dying. He studied her carefully. She had lost that slumped, defeated posture. Her shoulders had straightened and her head was up. The change did not inspire him.

Inuyasha huffed, pushing the thought to the back of his mind for the moment. His ears swiveled atop his head, taking in all the sounds around him. He found it odd. The noises were softer than on Earth; yet so varied he was having trouble sorting through them all. He guessed most were birds or bugs, but it unnerved him none the less to not know.

As he looked around at the trees, trying to identify the source of the different noises, it struck him how much like the city the forest made him feel. The trees towered overhead blocking the sun, just as the buildings had done. Yet the trees' shadows were erratic, freeform; where the city shadows had been uniform and predictable.

He also noticed the old, uncomfortable trapped feeling was starting to settle into his stomach. One thing he had never liked about the city was the closeness of the buildings; it made him feel vulnerable because he could not see what was around the corner. His brother had always said he was paranoid.

Yet for the first time he realized that he had not felt trapped yesterday. The open plains had given him a perfect view in all directions. It had made him feel safer then he had in a long time.

"Inuyasha?" Shippou drew him from his thoughts with a bump of his elbow. The fox's ears were tensed and a frown was marring his face. "Do you hear that?"

The half-demon swiveled his ears around trying to catch the sound Shippou referred too. For a moment all he heard was the sounds of the group, then something rustled just a little too far to the right. Years of surviving on the streets kicked in. His ears focused on the sound, but the sound was gone. Whatever he had heard was an almost silent mover. He took a slow deep breath, taking in any new scents. Unfortunately, there were too many to identify. A quick glance around told him that, so far only he and Shippou had noticed.

"I think we're being hunted." Inuyasha whispered.

"How do you know?"

"I've been hunted before." Inuyasha ignored the look on Shippou's face in favor of scanning the trees. Whatever it was, it was well hidden. He narrowed his eyes as a low growing plant rustled ahead of them ever so slightly. His hand flexed, knuckles cracking. His long, claw-like nails glistened on his fingers. Well-toned muscles tensed, preparing to fight if need be.

Kagome and Sango had settled into a comfortable silence. The kind of silence only old friends could share. Kagome was working away on her comp, trying to record everything they passed. Sango was keeping an eye on the group, making sure no stragglers got left behind.

Kagome took a brief moment to walk backward, recording information on a large tree, when a movement made her look back. Inuyasha had taken on a very tense stance. She made a face, wondering what had gotten his hackles up this time. Deciding to ignore him she turned back to take more notes. She looked up at some low growing shrubs, when something caught her eye.

At first she was not sure what she was looking at. She could see the shrubs and trees, dappled with light that made it through the canopy. Yet something just seemed wrong. One of the shadows moved and she blinked. The shadow shifted again. Kagome's eyes widened as she realized the movement went against all the other shadows.

Kagome gasped and threw her arm out to stop Sango. The army brat grunted as her friend's arm hit her stomach. The rest of the group stopped behind them with a murmur of confusion. Kagome shushed them harshly.

"What's happening?" A hawk demon named Gawain asked. His large, yellow eyes focused on her and made Kagome shiver. Kagome swallowed thickly, not sure how to answer the question without causing panic. The last thing they needed was to trigger the chase/kill instinct of whatever was in front of them.

"We're being hunted." Came the blunt answer. Heads snapped around to focus on Inuyasha.

"Wh-what?" Ricky asked.

"I didn't stutter." Inuyasha snapped, "Something is hunting us." A note of panic rose from the group and several began to back up.

"Hush!" Kagome whispered harshly, "Nobody panic and nobody run. We don't know what this thing is, so no sudden movements." Her words fell on deaf ears. The warning had barely left her lips before several people had turned to run. Kagome gave an involuntary cry for them to stop but it was too late.

The shadow leapt to life with a roar. Kagome spun around in time to see a large dark shape with gleaming teeth and claws coming at her. The next moment she found herself on her butt in the dirt. She blinked in surprise and looked up.

Inuyasha stood between her and a very large cat-like creature. The creature's coat was a patchwork of oranges and black; not unlike the tortoise-shell pattern once seen in house cats. Large green, slit-pupil eyes glowered at the half-demon. The cat was at least 12 feet long, not counting the tail, and was heavily muscled. A striking, cream colored stripe of fur highlighted the ridge of its pink and black splotched nose. Its ears seemed too large for its head and had a triangular shape. At the moment they were laid back against its head.

The large cat growled and Inuyasha growled back. The half-demon was drawn into a fighting stance. His claw-like nails were held like weapons and his legs were bunched to spring at a moment's notice.

The cat lunged and Inuyasha dodged to the left. In a surprising display of agility the cat changed direction and lunged again. This time Inuyasha did not have time to dodge. The cat's large claws sliced down his arm and sent him tumbling across the ground.

The half-demon skidded to a stop several feet away. Blood splattered the ground in his path. Inuyasha looked up to see the cat crouch. On instinct his hand groped the ground for something, anything, he could use to defend himself. His hand wrapped around something solid just as the cat sprang. Inuyasha brought the object, a large, dead tree branch, in an arc. The make-shift club caught the cat in the shoulder hard enough the throw it off course. Inuyasha rolled the opposite way and sprang to his feet.

The cat gave itself a shake as it too climbed to its feet. The two stared at each other for a long moment. Then, rather abruptly, the cat turned and disappeared into the undergrowth.

A silence hung heavily in the air, not even the birds were singing. Inuyasha still held the branch in his uninjured arm, while the other hung painfully at his side. Blood was slowly rolling from the wound and dripping into a growing puddle on the ground. Kagome still sat where she had landed, her eyes wide. Other members of the group peeked around from different hiding places. Shippou, still clutching Inuyasha's bag to his chest, from when the half-demon had shoved in into his arms watched in wide-eyed silence.

The branch fell to the ground with an abnormally loud thud as Inuyasha reached up to his bleeding arm. The sound seemed to trigger a flurry of activity. The group began to chatter excitedly. Kirara rushed forward, digging medical supplies from her bag as she went. Inuyasha tried to fend her off, insisting the gashes were nothing. He quickly figured out that it was easier and less painful, physically and mentally, to just give way to the nurse.

Kirara was quick to cut away the remains of his sleeve and peeled the fabric out of the bleeding flesh. She then carefully wrapped the arm in a pressure bandage to curb the bleeding. The wound ran from just below his shoulder to a few inches below his elbow, but not as deep as they first appeared. Kirara diagnosed that, as long as they did not get infected, he should regain full use of it. Inuyasha scoffed and told her he had healed from worse.

Sango declared a stop for lunch, but many members of the group insisted they move away from the bloodied ground. Miroku helped Kagome off the ground and Shippou shouldered Inuyasha's bag despite the half-demon's protests. The group stopped a few minutes later and Kagome started a fire with some difficulty. Soon, she had another pot of soup going.

She served Inuyasha first, asking if he needed any help. He blushed then snapped at her that he was not helpless. Almost as if to spite her, he drank the soup straight from the bowl, and promptly burned his mouth. When Kirara admonished him for not letting it cool, he snapped at her as well.

As soon as the meal was finished, and in hopes of pacifying the half-demon, Kagome declared that they would camp on the spot for the night. Inuyasha retaliated that it was just a few cuts on his arm and he did not need to be babied. He grabbed his bag and began marching off, leaving everyone else to follow or be left behind. Kirara and Kagome chased after him, telling him he should be resting and healing his injuries. He ignored them both as he led the group in approximately the direction they had been traveling all day.

Hours passed, and Kagome and Kirara finally gave up on trying to get Inuyasha to rest. But not before they convinced him to let someone else carry his bag. The group crossed a river just before dark. It was much wider, deeper, and rougher than the river they had been to the day before. Kagome cautioned again about water predators, and for the first time it seemed her words were heard. Of course it did take some persuading to get the group to cross.

They made camp on the other side just before dark and Kagome again made soup from a food capsule. Some complained about the lack of variety. Kagome responded that she would make something different as soon as they learned to make the fire hotter. There were far more volunteers to keep the fire going then last night, leaving Kagome free to do other duties – like changing the bandages on one irritable half-demon.

It had taken some convincing on Kagome's part for Kirara to let her treat Inuyasha. After a long briefing on the supplies needed and how to use them, Kagome was finally allowed to try her hand at nursing.

"I need to change your bandages." She tried to keep her voice even. Inuyasha looked up at her, the fire throwing his hair and features into deep relief of orange. His eyes seemed to glow of their own accord.

"What, the cat scared of me too?" He asked with a smirk. It had become apparent through the day that the encounter with the creature had caused many of the group members to fear him. Ricky had practically made it priority one to stay well out of Inuyasha's path. Kagome noticed, with no small measure of annoyance, that the change of attitude pleased the demon.

"No, I just wanted to talk to you and I thought this would be the best way." She knelt down next to him and set down her supplies.

"Aren't you scared, little girl?" Kagome fixed him with a cool look.

"You may be a good fighter, but I have seen nothing more from you then I've seen from an average bully. You talk tough, Inuyasha, and tough you may be, but I will not be strong-armed into submission." Inuyasha snorted as she began to unwrap his arm. The bandages were bloody, and she gave a small dry heave at the sight. They were silent as she worked .He did not fight her attentions, accepting it grudgingly. Kagome concentrated on everything Kirara had told her.

The task proved more daunting than she had first thought. She had taken a brief course in nursing, as was required for her training, but nothing in her books could have prepared her for this. Beneath the bandages was real flesh. The bleeding had ceased, but the life-giving fluid still clung to skin and exposed muscle alike. The four jagged slashes ran parallel down his arm, the skin ripped like paper over firm muscle. Every breath he took made the flesh ripple ever so slightly. The wound looked incredibly painful, but Inuyasha insisted it was nothing and he'd had worse.

Carefully, she rubbed the cool blue cream over the injury as she had been instructed. Inuyasha showed no sign that the ministrations hurt at all. She took up the clean wrap and began to cover his arm.

"Why?" The question left her lips almost silently. It had been plaguing her from the moment she had found herself on the ground. She felt him turn towards her, those hard golden eyes boring their way into her skull. Kagome kept her eyes down, trying to pay attention to her work.

"Why what?" He grunted.

"Why… why did you save me? You could have saved yourself and run away with everyone else. You got hurt because you were… protecting me. Why?" Her eyes came up to meet his for the first time. He stared at her for a long moment, and for the smallest of moments she saw something flash across them. But it was gone before she could identify it and he snapped his head away.

"I don't run from anything." There was a finality in his voice that told her that was all the answer she would get. With an inward sigh, she tied off his bandage, gathered the medical supplies, and returned to Sango and Kirara.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** _I know this chapter was a long time in coming. My muse has been a bit flighty and has her heart set on a scene that just is not ready to be written yet. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!_

**Foundations of Neo Genesis**

_Chapter 6_

The day dawned more humid than the ones before it. The sky was cast in a hard steel gray, with mist-like rain overshadowing the land. The soft patter of rain against the canopy echoed around them, changing in pitch and intensity by the weather's demand. The birds were silent, hidden away from the dismal weather. But the birds were not the only ones caught in the weather's depressing spell.

Despite the weather, Kagome smiled at the sight of the towering cliffs. After a short, albeit dismal, trek they had finally made it. The cliffs offered excellent shelter from the wind. Years of natural erosion had carved a good-sized hollow near the base. The hollow was about fifteen feet high, lower in some places, higher in others, and was an average of about eight feet deep; but one place was much deeper, the back unable to be seen in the dim gray light. She only cast a dry look at Inuyasha's back when he chose the deepest part for himself.

Wet, cold, and tired the group all took up places out of the rain. Kagome found a fairly deep spot and began to check her equipment for water damage. After assuring herself that nothing was in need of repair, she turned on her hologram again.

A red dot marked their place at the base of the cliffs on the west of the hologram. She could see the forest they had traveled through stretching across the view until it disappeared off the eastern and northern edges. To the south of the forest were the plains they had landed in. The plains area took up the better part of the hologram and only gave way when it reached a large body of water. Had Kagome not known better, she would have thought it was a freshwater lake. But a wider view back at the station, and samples taken by the probes confirmed it to be a saltwater ocean. It had clear, warm water, much like the oceans off the Caribbean or Australian Coast had once been.

Kagome pushed a button on the hologram keypad and the image was replaced with a blank grid. Her fingers began to quickly dance across the keys, but her eyes remained fixed on the grid. Slowly, the green lines began to bend and take the shape of a large cat. After a minute, the shape was filled in with a patchwork of black and orange coloring. She did her best to make it look like the cat that had attacked them. After adding some measurements she paused. She needed to name the creature before sending her report back to the station. Not feeling very imaginative at the moment, she shrugged it off and saved her work.

She flipped through her other holograms – mostly fruits and plants – but there was one other animal: the Fringe Gazelle, the deer-like creatures they had seen on the first day, and half-finished species of birds she had gotten glimpses of over the past few days.

"I'm hungry," Ricky complained from his place on her right. "When are you going to cook something?"

"I am not your servant," Kagome chastised without looking up, "And how would you like me to cook anyway? Cooking requires heat, and for that we'd need fire. If you're hungry there is still fruit from breakfast."

"But I don't want-"

"No one gives a damn what you want," Inuyasha snapped irritably from his dark corner. Kagome sighed, remembering that his bandages probably needed to be changed. She turned off her comp and pulled out her first aid kit. She heaved herself to her feet and walked to the back of the hollow.

Inuyasha was leaning against the wall, his arms folded across his chest and his head bowed. The ears on his head twitched at her approach and he opened his eyes to look at her. She stilled, watching him. For a moment, she was reminded of the cat. His slit-pupil eyes glowed in the dim light and she felt a shiver run down her spine when his lips curled away from his teeth.

"What do you want?"

"I'm just going to put on some dry bandages." She held up the kit and smiled disarmingly.

"Do what you want." Inuyasha shrugged. Kagome moved slowly to kneel at his side, setting the kit down next to her. She carefully began to unwrap his arm. To her surprise the wound looked much better. Rather than open wounds she found dark red scabs that looked several days older than they should. She sat back on her haunches and studied his arm for a moment.

"You do heal fast."

"Feh!"

"I see no reason to rewrap this unless I can't trust you not to pick at the scabs." His head snapped around to glare at her, his ears flattening against his skull. To his surprise she was laughing at him. He scowled.

"What's so fucking funny?"

"Can't you take a joke?" She smiled at him. He snorted and Kagome rolled her eyes. "You are impossible. Didn't you ever have any friends?"

"No, and I don't need them so you can just go back to your books."

"What's got your panties in a wad? Yesterday you were making fun of me, now you keep biting my head off. Are you homesick? Do you need a hug?"

"Do and die." He flexed his claws at her.

"Joking." She held up her hands in a pacifying gesture. "I just want you to know I'm here if you need me."

"I don't need you, or anyone else for that matter! Why do you give a damn anyway?"

"Why'd you save me?" she countered. He growled. She met his glare eye to eye. For a long moment they glowered at each other, neither willing to back down and look away.

"You're an insufferable wench."

"And you're a jackass." He growled, showing his fangs. Kagome swallowed, but did not back down. Inuyasha snapped his teeth at her and she jumped automatically, breaking eye contact.

"Coward."

"Jerk." She grabbed her kit off the ground and stood up. "I don't see why you have to be such an ass. All I want to do is be your friend and help you."

"I don't need your friendship, bitch. And I'll die before I ask for your help."

"Fine, be that way, see if I care!" She turned on her heels and stormed off. Inuyasha snorted after her and sat back down against the wall. The hard stone was cold and damp from the weather, but it matched his mood.

The night passed slowly for the group. Between the sunburns, empty stomachs, and the storm that went from annoying mist to raging thunderstorm, sleep was hard to find. The trees whipped back and forth and water slowly crawled across the cave floor. Everyone moved as far back as they could, and fortunately it was enough.

The next morning dawned, clear and fresh, the storm having blown itself out during the night. Kagome, with the help of Sango and Kirara, managed to find some more fruit. The work was simple because the storm had knocked a lot onto the ground. They returned to the cave to find the group had broken into smaller parties and were chatting among themselves. Kagome was surprised to see Inuyasha talking with Shippou and Miroku; or rather he was sitting with them while they talked. She sighed and shrugged it off, at least he had drug himself out from that far corner and was being semi-social.

Kagome shook her head to clear the thought, not even sure where it had come from. She followed the other two girls into the cave, trying not to think about the half demon. They set down their burden and took a step back as everyone came forward to fill their stomachs.

"Alright everyone." Kagome tried to call the group to attention, but empty stomachs were begging to be filled. Kagome sighed and grabbed herself some fruit before it was all taken. There was no talking to them right now and besides, her stomach was in knots from lack of food. Everyone ate in silence, too caught up in their meal to worry about whatever they had been talking about before. When they had all slowed down a bit, Kagome stood up again and clapped her hands to gain attention.

"Okay. Now there are a few things that we need to take care of," Kagome began once everyone was looking her way. "There are three basic needs that need to be met so that we are successful. These things are Food, Water, and Shelter. We also need someone to gather firewood. So, who wants to do what?" No one answered.

"Well, you seem to be doing a good job with the food," Inuyasha quipped, "But I'm not much for living on fruit."

"But we have those capsules, right?" Shippou pointed out.

"Only enough to get us started," Sango corrected, "A month's worth if we stretch it."

"A month!" Ricky squeaked.

"So, what else is there to eat around here?" Inuyasha asked.

"I think water is the more pressing issue," Kagome argued. "What we need is some way to carry and keep water here with us so we don't have to make a trek to the river every time someone needs a drink. While we're working on that, we need to make this place more livable."

"What, you want pink frilly curtains?" Miroku asked with a lopsided grin. Kagome gave him a withering look.

"I was thinking more along the lines of something for privacy."

"I bet I could do that. I took a basket weaving class once so it won't be that difficult." Kirara offered. Kagome gave a nod of approval and turned back to the group.

"Alright, we'll split up into three groups. Kirara will head the group to improve our shelter, Sango will lead a group to find food, and I'll take a group to get water. Remember, stay together and keep your eyes peeled. We don't know what is out there yet, so be ready for anything." With a nod of finality, Kagome rose and collected the canteens. The rest of the group divided themselves up.

Kagome turned around to address her group, only to find she was alone. A few people were gathered around Kirara and Sango, hoping to avoid being dragged away from their new haven. Kagome rolled her eyes.

"I do need at least one person to come with me." She reminded them. No one even paid attention. "Don't everyone jump at once."

"I'll go with you." Kagome turned to see Inuyasha climbing to his feet. Her eyebrows rose in surprise. "You need a keeper anyway."

"And I thought for a second you were being nice."

"Keh. Let's just get this over with." He walked past her into the morning light. Kagome followed. The warm breeze rolled over her and she suddenly realized how thirsty she was. She gave the canteens a shake and found one that still had some water in it. She unscrewed the cap and tipped the fluid into her mouth. She coughed, choking on the hot, stale water. It was only a mouthful, hardly enough to quench her thirst, but it was all she had.

"Do you want some?" Kagome offered another canteen to the half-demon walking half a pace in front of her.

"Not thirsty."

"You know, the feeling of thirst only happens once your body starts getting desperate for water."

"Do you do anything but spew useless facts?" Kagome blushed. "I said I'm not thirsty. You should drink it; you're the weak little human." Kagome sighed and let the canteen fall amongst the others with a dull clatter. The air around them was still thick with moisture and perspiration quickly formed on their skin. Kagome found herself trailing in Inuyasha's wake and in his shadow.

Her mind wandered over the many things that still had to be done. They would need to research what other life forms they would be living with. Then, everything would have to be tested to see what they could and could not eat. There was also the fact that they would have to start looking for replacements for their clothes. No matter how durable the material was supposed to be, they would not last forever.

Kagome was so lost in her thoughts she did not realize Inuyasha had stopped until she ran into him.

"Hey-" His hand came up to cover her mouth.

"Shut up." his hissed between his teeth. Furrowing her brow, Kagome followed his line of sight. She had to squint, but she could make out something large moving between the trees. Inuyasha darted to the side, taking Kagome with him, and ducked behind a bush. Kagome's hands fisted in the fabric of his shirt and she was surprised to feel a soft vibration coming from his chest.

Inuyasha watched the form as it stopped and looked around. He could pick up the smell of blood on it, old and new, and his gut told him that it was not something to be toyed around with. He felt Kagome grip his shirt and the tang of her fear seep into the air. It was a little unnerving.

The form moved carefully, almost picking its way between the trees. It was tall, Kagome guessed about eight feet. They could not see much from where they hid, but the creature had a long neck topped with a powerful-looking head. It also had a large beak like nothing Kagome had ever seen in her studies. She might have described it as eagle-like, but it was far too large. The head bobbed and turned as if it were looking for something.

After a long moment the creature moved off, melting once more into the forest as if it had never been. Kagome started to rise, but Inuyasha yanked her back down with an angry glare. The ears on top of his head twitched, focusing in the direction the creature had gone. After a long pause, he rose to his feet, senses still tuned to the world around them.

"You really do need a keeper. I thought you were smart enough not to walk around with your head in the smog."

"I have a lot on my mind." Kagome defended, but it sounded almost like a child who had been scolded.

"Like I care. Pay attention before you get eaten." Kagome brought her eyes up to meet his.

"Why do you care anyway? It seems to me you'd be much happier if I was gone."

"Keh. Why would I want you gone? You're the only person around here that knows what the hell you're talking about. If you kick it, we're all doomed." He turned and began walking towards the river again. Kagome watched him go, her mouth slightly open. After a moment she pulled herself together and hurried to catch up. Inuyasha did not even acknowledge her when she fell into step beside him. A thin silence stretched between them.

"Thank you," Kagome said softly, "for saving my life again."

"Keh." The rest of the way to the river was uneventful and the two did not break the unsteady silence that had formed between them.

They approached the water with caution. Inuyasha took time to take in the area with his sharp senses and Kagome waited for his 'okay' before moving. They both knelt at the water's edge to drink. At first, it was just cupping the cool water in their hands and lifting it to their lips. But it quickly became apparent that that method would not suffice. Soon, both were sucking water as fast as they could straight from the river. Inuyasha kept his ears alert, more out of habit then conscience thought.

"Not thirsty, huh?" Kagome teased as she sat back and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand.

"You're one to talk. Did you save enough river for the rest of us?" he jabbed back. Kagome chose not to retort, too content with her full stomach. The world seemed better all of a sudden.

"Inuyasha, can I ask you something?" He shrugged and she took it as a 'yes.' "Why is it that when I tell someone to do something they ignore me, but when you say the same thing, everyone practically falls all over themselves to do it? I mean you said so yourself, I know what I'm talking about, why won't they listen to me?" Kagome fiddled with the cap on one of the canteens so she would not have to look at him. Inuyasha picked up a canteen as well, but started to fill it. "Forget it, it was a-"

"It's because you never tell anyone to do anything. You always ask, and when it doesn't happen, you do it yourself." He capped the first canteen and reached for another.

"But I don't want to be mean." She knelt with him and began to help fill the canteens.

"You couldn't be mean if you tried." Inuyasha snorted. "You just need to be firm. Set your limits and stick to them." Kagome sat back and looked at him. Inuyasha capped another canteen.

"But…"

"No buts, no second guessing, just do it." He looked up to meet her eyes. "No one respects a person they can walk all over." Kagome nodded and went back to filling the containers.

"You know, Inuyasha, you can be nice when you want to be."

"Keh. Don't get used to it; I'm not a nice guy. I'm just sick of having to pick up your slack."


	7. Chapter 7

_**Foundations of Neo Genesis**_

_Chapter 7_

Miroku strode casually behind the female leader of his group. The young ex-military captain carried an empty backpack over one shoulder, intending to use it as a makeshift fruit basket. In her hand was a smaller version of Kagome's comp that displayed a hologram of the landscape.

Behind him, the small band kept close together. He had yet to introduce himself to each of them, but knew some of their names. To his right, Savannah, a petite lioness demon with short flaxen hair, warm brown eyes, and a tail ending in a tuft of brown fur, was chatting with a jaguar demon named Krishna. He had sleek black hair, matching tail, and slit-pupil green eyes.

On Miroku's left was a wolf demon by the name of Kouga. He had black hair pulled into a high ponytail and cobalt eyes that seemed to lack pupils. Kouga was pointedly ignoring the human boy next to him – a slip of a boy named Sean. Sean had dark hair and grey eyes, and seemed content to keep out of the wolf demon's way.

Bringing up the rear of the group, a stag demon and raven demon chatted animatedly. The deer was named Darby; he was fine-boned with fawn brown hair and limpid blue eyes. The raven, on the other hand, was a slip of a girl with curly-cue pitch-colored hair and wide violet eyes. Her name was Branwen.

"So where are we going, my lady?" Miroku asked, flicking his eyes back to the small group's leader. Sango looked over her shoulder at him.

"Kirara wanted us to cut her some of the long grass from the plains area, and we need to pick some more fruit. We'll get the grass first so we don't have to carry the fruit any longer than necessary," she answered. The group made no protests to the plan, so Sango continued on her course.

The forest was calm around them, but Sango stayed alert. She tried to remember all the things Kagome had told her about animals and their possible behaviors. It had not put the ex-military agent's mind at ease to know how many types of predators might be stalking them at this moment. People she could deal with, people she could predict; but animals were a complete mystery to her.

Checking her mini comp again, she knew they would reach the tree line shortly and was grateful. Even with her training, the walk had been arduous. The grumbling around her was not helping much either.

Quite suddenly, the trees gave way to the plains and the group had to stop and let their eyes adjust to the sudden flood of light. The grass sea spread out before them, much more lively than it had been the day they landed. Herds of animals dotted the area as far as the eyes could see.

To their right was a small group of the creatures they had seen on their first day: Fringe Gazelle Kagome had named them. They grazed peacefully, but kept wary eyes trained on the group. Farther off towards the horizon, a large herd of mixed animals all grazed and mingled together. Sango had to squint, but she could make out at least four different body shapes. Another, smaller group of animals, was almost directly in front of them on the very edge of the horizon. They were tall, but beyond that it was hard to make out any features about them.

"Let's get this over with," Krishna sighed as he crossed the few steps to the grass and grabbed a handful near the roots. The grass came up easily, roots and all. He gave it a shake to knock out the dirt, before going back for more. The others followed suit.

The work was hard. With the sun beating down and the constant bending and pulling, the group was quickly tiring. Miroku stood and wiped some sweat from his brow. He had always thought he was in decent shape, but this task was proving him wrong in short order. Looking out over the plains, he took note of the changes. The gazelle had moved back into the forest, and the large herd of mixed animals had worked its way more towards the right. The smaller group of tall creatures was closer now, and he could make out their brown coloring against the green grass. He shrugged and went back to work.

It was not long before the group had filled their arms with grass and Sango called a stop. They stood and stretched as best they could without dropping their burdens before turning to head back.

"What is that?" Miroku asked as he lifted a hand to shade his eyes. The rest of the group turned to see what he was looking at. The pack of creatures that had been off in the distance when they started had moved much closer. They could now easily make out a dozen individual animals.

The creatures walked upright on their hind legs and stood roughly eight feet tall. Each was covered in a fine coat of short hair-like feathers. Their heads and thick necks were dark chocolate, as well as the swooping stripes running down their sides, that faded into a lighter brown on their backs and a soft tan on their bellies. Powerful hooked beaks completed their bird-like appearance, despite their lack of wings. In the place of the missing appendages were powerful arms. The arms lacked feathers from the elbows down and instead were covered in smooth grey skin. Each arm was tipped with a three-fingered hand and talon-like claws. Their legs were long and powerful, also lacking the fur-feathers except at the tops of their thighs. Large red eyes flashed in the sunlight.

Sango furrowed her brow and frowned. Kagome had been the one to dedicate herself to the sciences, but the knot in the pit of her stomach told Sango all she needed to know. Her mind raced, trying to dredge up all the tidbits of information she had heard. The creatures were slowly moving towards them, tilting and turning their heads inquisitively.

"Everyone back up." Sango kept her voice as quiet as possible while emphasizing her command with a backwards hand motion. "Don't run and don't scream." The small group began to slowly back its way into the forest. The giant birds continued to advance, almost cautiously.

"They're still coming…" Sean hissed out of the corner of his mouth. "What now?"

"Just try not to attract their attention," Sango answered.

"Little late for that," Kouga growled.

"This is not the time to argue," Miroku interrupted, "Maybe they will lose interest after we get past the trees." Sango looked over her shoulder. They were still a good 30 meters from the tree line. She cursed under her breath, wondering how they had moved so far out without noticing, and looked back at the birds. With their longer legs, they were advancing faster than the group could retreat.

"Oh shit." Krishna spat. Several of the group members turned their heads in time to see another of the large birds emerging from the trees off to their right. This one was limping badly and had blood running from wounds on its hip and neck. It lifted its head and let out a short series of 'barks.' The group of birds stopped and looked at the newcomer, before the leading bird 'barked' back.

"They are going to kill us!" Darby's voice sliced through the tension before he bolted for the trees. The lead bird let out an ear-splitting scream, and the group scattered, all making for the trees as fast as their legs would carry them. The birds charged in response. They proved to be far faster then their size let on and quickly closed the small space.

The lead bird let out another scream as it came alongside Sean, who was not as fast as his companions. With a swing of its head, the bird sent the human flying. The boy tumbled through the air before landing roughly on his back with a painful 'oomph.'

Miroku looked back involuntarily at the sound, just in time to see the great bird stop and bring its foot down on the boy. Sean let out a choked scream just before the bird snapped its head down. Miroku's eyes widened at the sound of bones cracking and flesh tearing. The bird stood to its full height, Sean's head clamped firmly in its beak. The bird threw it back and swallowed in a single gulp. The other birds gave up the chase to partake in the prey.

Miroku felt like his knees were going to give out beneath him, but his legs refused to stop moving. A low branch slapped him in the face as he ducked into the forest. Warm blood made its way down his cheek, his lungs constricted, his throat closed, and his heart felt like it would burst from his chest. Only when his legs, unused to such strain, gave out, did the priest stop.

Exhausted limbs screamed from exertion and his chest heaved as he gulped down air. The scattered remaining members of their group sat on the ground or leaned against trees as they tried to catch their breath. Sango was the only one still on her feet, but she too was holding on to a tree trunk for support. Their grass cargo was long gone, forgotten in the mad dash.

"Do you… think… we lost them?" Darby asked breathlessly. Sango looked over her shoulder.

"I think so." She scanned the trees for signs of movement.

"I say we go back to the cave," Kouga puffed. "Screw everything else." He was leaning against a tree with his eyes closed as he did his best to breathe through his nose, his bangs matted to his face with sweat.

"I second," Krishna added from his place flat on his back.

"Where's Sean?" Savannah asked as she propped herself up on her elbows. Miroku felt his stomach turn.

"He-he didn't make it," Miroku answered. "The birds, those things, they..." He could not finish the sentence and swallowed hard to keep from retching. "May the Gods save his soul." A deathly silence fell over the group.

"You mean…?" Savannah asked, her eyes widening. "But-but-but-but… that's-that's not…"

"We should leave," Branwen said as she stood up. "Those things could be back any time." There was a collective grunt of agreement as everyone pushed themselves to their feet and gathered together again. Sango took the small comp from the backpack and turned it on. She pushed a few buttons and the map of the area, complete with a compass, appeared.

"Let me see…" Sango mused. "Here are the plains to the south… and the cliff caves are to the east… so we should gooooo…" she turned on her heels, "this way."

"Are you sure?" Krishna asked.

"Positive," Sango answered and started off. Having no other choice but to trust her, the group moved off.

&&&

"We should head back," Kagome said as she sat up in the grass, "It's not a good idea for us to be away from the group longer than necessary." Inuyasha sat up, but made no other move to rise.

"What's the fucking point?" he grumbled. "All they're doing right now is complaining about how this wasn't what they expected." He turned his head to look at her, "Unless you're in a big hurry to get back to ol' Rickety." Kagome rolled her eyes.

"Do you have to insult someone every chance you get? Sure, Ricky is kind of a pain, but he was picked to come for a reason, just like everyone else."

"And what reason was that?" Inuyasha quipped as he moved back to the water's edge and crouched down.

Kagome shrugged. "I don't know. I was picked for my science background, Sango for her ability to lead and organize people; everyone has some skill they can contribute." She paused and looked up at the trees. "Why are you here? I mean, I know you were a street kid, but why did you want to come?" When Inuyasha did not answer, she looked back over at him.

Inuyasha was crouched low over the water, the light reflecting off the liquid surface dancing across his face. His ears were forward, and his face turned away from her. Kagome frowned. She could not see his face, but something in the way he sat told her he was not happy.

"Inuyasha…?"

"It's none of your fucking business, bitch!" He whirled on her and Kagome cringed away at the look on his face. His golden eyes burned with something she could not begin to decipher, and his lips were pulled away from bared fangs. Kagome let out a small frightened squeak despite her best efforts to keep it down. Inuyasha snorted in satisfaction and turned back to the water.

Kagome brought her hand up to cover her heart, trying to stop the erratic hammering inside her chest. For a moment, she really thought he was going to hurt her. There was no doubt in her mind that he could if he wanted to. She let her eyes flicker over to him. He still seemed tense. Kagome bit her lip. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Inuyasha did not answer.

For a long time neither said anything, one out of fear and the other too lost in thought.

"What are you looking at?" Kagome asked softly, not sure if he was going to talk to her anymore or not. She sighed when he did not respond. Bringing her knees up to her chest, she wrapped her arms around them and rested her chin on top. Resigning herself, she prepared to wait. It was a bad idea to leave the half-demon and try to go back on her own after all.

A sudden splash caused Kagome to look up. Inuyasha let out an annoyed curse and shook water from his arm. Kagome lifted an eyebrow in silent question. As she watched, the half-demon clawed at the water several more times, and cursed each time.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" she finally asked. Inuyasha only grumbled and returned to glaring down at the water. Curiosity overcoming fear, Kagome got up and moved to stand next to him.

Below the water's surface swam a bunch of bronze creatures. They reminded Kagome of the fish that had lived on Earth with their streamlined bodies. Each 'fish' had a flat head and wide mouth that they held open as they faced against the current. Large, unblinking eyes, stared blankly at their self-assigned task. They were about two feet long and had anchored themselves to the river bottom with a clawed 'hands' on each side. Their tails were split in two, with a delicate-looking fin on each side. The fins swayed in perfect sync with each other, helping the animals stay in place as they fed. The scales of each creature were large, round plates that looked like armor.

"They're fish… sort of." Kagome said, leaning down for a closer look. "Some sort of filter feeder I think…" Inuyasha slapped at the water again, splashing Kagome, and cursed again. Kagome wiped the water from her eyes and growled softly, "What was that for?"

Inuyasha looked up and seemed surprised to see her standing there and wet. "Isn't that obvious, wench. I'm trying to catch one." He made another grab at the fish, and missed.

"Number one, there is no guarantee they aren't poisonous or something," Kagome said as she wiped the water from her face again. "Second, you're not going to catch one by just grabbing at what you see."

"And why is that?" Inuyasha snapped crossly. He glared at her briefly, before looking back at his quarry. But one of his ears remained trained on her, giving away his interest.

"Unlike synthesized water, organic water refracts light," Kagome answered.

"What?" The irritation was rising in his voice, and Kagome reminded herself he was not a student interested in how things worked.

"Basically, the fish is not where you see it," Kagome clarified. Inuyasha frowned. "Here, look." Kagome put her hand into the water, showing how the refraction of the light made it appear to bend sharply upward. Inuyasha's eyes widened slightly with understanding. The fish continued to ignore them.

Kagome stepped back, clearing the splash zone, and dried her hand on her pants. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and focused on one of the fish, taking aim just below the image he saw on the surface. In a flash, he struck. His aim was true and bronze scales flashed in the sunlight and water flew through the air. Inuyasha had caught a fish… almost.

The frightened creature thrashed violently in his grasp and, with the aid of the water, slipped from his hand, landing with a splash back in the river. Inuyasha growled in frustration and leaned back over the water.

His next attempt was more successful. This time he grabbed onto his struggling prey with both hands. The fish continued to thrash desperately, flopping back and forth and slapping its captor with its twin tails. Inuyasha grinned, holding his prey firmly until it stopped fighting back. When he was sure it was dead, he let it drop to the grassy bank, a proud grin on his face.

"That was pretty good," Kagome complimented as she knelt down to get a closer look at the creature. "Do you think you can catch some more?"

"Keh. Of course I can."

&&&

Kirara looked up as Inuyasha and Kagome came out of the woods. Kagome had the canteens over her right shoulder, while Inuyasha carried a number of large fish-like creatures. They were not speaking to each other, but they did not look like they had been fighting either. The cat demon raised her hand in greeting, a gesture only Kagome returned. Other members of the group noticed and looked up.

"Hey, water's here," Gawain said, raising his yellow eyes. Everyone else followed suit. Kagome let out a surprised squeak as she was swarmed by their thirsty companions. Inuyasha growled, showing his fangs, and the group stopped. Kagome dumped the canteens she was carrying onto the ground with a loud clatter, and moved out of the way. The abandoned water containers were quickly snatched up by the waiting group.

Inuyasha snorted and walked around the group, Kagome following in his wake, and took his catch to the cave entrance. Someone had gotten a fire started in their absence, and Inuyasha sat down next to it. With Kagome looking on, he retrieved the dagger from his bag and went to work. Practiced ease guided his hands as he removed the head, skins, and guts from the creatures. He found that the plate-like scales were actually quite hard, and he had to wedge his knife between them before he could cut at the flesh.

"How do you know how to do that?" Kagome asked, somewhere between fascination and revulsion. Inuyasha looked up at her, noting he had amassed a small audience, and smirked.

"Have you ever been hungry enough to eat a rat?" His voice was mild, but the reaction was not. Several people made gagging noises and Kagome reared up and looked sick.

"No, and I hope I never am," she balked.

"Keh!" Inuyasha huffed as he cut a small piece out of the first fish. He stabbed it with the tip of his dagger and extended the flesh towards her. "Here's a piece to test for poisons, or whatever it is you do. I don't want to cut up the rest of these if we can't eat them." Kagome accepted the piece gingerly, holding it between two fingers like it might bite her.

Digging her comp out of her bag, she moved to sit down next to Kirara, who was nursing a canteen. "Have Sango and the others come back yet?" she asked, placing the flesh sample into a small test tube and inserting it into a round slot in the upper right corner of the machine. With a few strokes of the keys, the comp began its analysis.

"Not yet," Kirara answered.

"How long until they get back?"

"Well," Kirara wiped the excess water from her mouth with the back of her hand. "They haven't been gone long. And they are making a stop at the plains area to cut some grass, as well as gather fruit."

"Why?" Kagome asked, furrowing her brow as she watched her comp.

"Emer said she learned some basket weaving from her grandmother and thought we could weave the grass together to make mats. If nothing else, they will keep us from lying on the cold ground." Kirara answered as she directed Kagome's attention to a girl with fiery red hair and sparkling emerald eyes. The girl blushed shyly.

The comp beeped at her and Kagome looked down. Her eyes scanned the summary that was given, then nodded in Inuyasha's direction. He took the hint and began cleaning the rest of his catch. Kagome frowned slightly. After they divided the fish up, there really would not be enough to fill everyone. She groaned, knowing they would be having soup again. The only consolation was the fact that Sango's group would soon return with fruit.

Kagome watched in mild interest as Inuyasha cleaned and gutted the rest of the fish, then skewered them on some sticks he broke from a nearby tree. He anchored the base of the sticks into the ground so they leaned towards the fire. Some of them fell over, but with persistence he managed to make them work. When he was done, he sat by the catch and watched them cook.

Kagome retrieved one of the large scales where Inuyasha had left it on the cave floor. She was surprised to find it was several centimeters thick and hard. On closer examination it was like a plate of bone. Each of the scales was flat and almost the size of her hand. Deciding that they could prove useful in the future, Kagome gathered them up off the floor and tucked them away into her bag.

"Hey, Kagome," Kirara elbowed her, "Sango's back." Kagome looked up to see her friend coming through the tree line with her small group. She raised her hand in welcome, but noticed that the gesture was not returned and the majority of the group looked pale.

"Sango?" Kagome asked, scrambling to her feet and approaching her friend. Sango looked at her as if for the first time, before shaking her head.

"Where's Sean?" A girl with wheat-blond hair asked. Her name was Ivy, and Sango clearly remembered her hanging around with Sean before they had left. "He went with you, didn't he?"

"He… Sean," Sango swallowed and steeled herself as she had been taught. "Sean is dead." A gasp rose from the group in a single great breath. "We ran across these… bird things. They approached us, we bolted, and they attacked."

A panicked murmur rose from the group as people discussed the possible implications of this news. Kagome tried to gather her thoughts over the rising din. She had been prepped for this, casualties were expected in the program and people were expected to panic. Still, she was not prepared for it to happen this soon, or in this manner.

Truth be told, when they had explained all the risks she would be facing, it had all seemed surreal and abstract. The concept had been simple enough, but it was one of those things that was easier said than done. Even now, she could feel the desperation rising in her own chest.

Forcefully, she stamped the feelings down and turned to the group. The ones who had gone with Sango seemed oddly silent, while everyone else was huddling together. Kagome felt a pair of eyes on her and turned. Inuyasha was still seated by the fire, but his eyes were turned towards her, a single eyebrow raised in question.

"Everyone, calm down," Kagome said, her voice wavering slightly. Inuyasha rolled his eyes. The rest of the group did not seem to hear her. Licking her lips, Kagome tried again, "Everyone, please!" This time her voice was stronger, but it still went unnoticed. "EVERYBODY SHUT UP!" Kagome screamed. The entire group turned to stare at her. Inuyasha looked very amused.

"Kagome…" Sango's voice betrayed her surprise.

"Ok, now that everyone is with me," Kagome pressed on, ignoring the look from her friend. "First of all, we cannot panic. We all knew the risks when we signed up. Sango, tell us, what happened exactly? We can learn from this information when we run into these creatures again."

"What do you mean 'when'?" Ricky squeaked.

"We are now sharing their home," Kagome answered. "It only stands to reason that we will cross paths with them again."

"Can't we do something?" Muriel, a wild-looking girl with blue hair and green eyes, pleaded. "Sango's military. Didn't she bring weapons, some way for us to defend ourselves?"

Kagome sighed, knowing this would not go well. "No, we have no weapons except those we make ourselves."

"So we have nothing…" Kouga said slowly.

"We don't have 'nothing,'" Kagome snapped before anyone could start panicking again. "Everyone here has a skill they can contribute. I've studied biology and ecology, Sango has military training, Miroku can provide spiritual guidance, and the list goes on. We can get through this; we just have to work together."

"But what about the birds?" Ricky asked in a tiny voice. "They've tasted human flesh, now they'll come after us and eat us one by one." Kagome fixed the large boy with a dry look.

"What do you think this is, a cheap horror movie?" With a shake of her head, she turned back to the rest of the group. "I can't promise you we won't cross paths with them, and I can't promise they won't kill anyone else. But they're animals, not monsters. They aren't going to show up in the middle of the night and slaughter us in our sleep for the fun of it."

"But they killed Sean," Ivy protested. "He didn't do anything." A murmur of agreement ran through the group.

"As Sango said," Kagome explained patiently, "everyone ran. This probably triggered an instinctive chase/kill response. I briefed you on this before the mission."

"But…" Muriel started.

"Look people," Sango cut in. She had drawn herself up and squared her shoulders, but her voice shook ever so slightly. "You all knew what you were getting into when you signed up. You knew the risks and you came any way. This is our chance for a better life, but if we want it, we have to fight for it. Nothing worth having was ever easy."


	8. Chapter 8

_**Foundations of Neo Genesis**_

Chapter 8

Dinner that night was a quiet affair. There were no complaints about the food, even though the soup was still thin and the fish were terribly bland. No one spoke, too lost in their own thoughts.

Kagome could barely taste the food in her mouth as she ate. Up until now, it had all seemed like a fantastic adventure: jetting off to an unknown planet, facing unknown creatures in a dramatic battle for survival, coming out on top by sheer determination and overall intelligence.

No one was supposed to die, not how she had pictured it. She was going to be the perfect leader; everyone would look to her for guidance and trust in her word as a woman of science. But no one had listened; no one even paid her a bit of attention. A street urchin, who probably had never been to school in his life, had chastised her ability to lead. How had it all gone so wrong?

Kagome peered around at the group and her heart sank farther into her stomach. Could it be that they would listen to her even less now that Sean had died, her eyes flickered over to Ivy. The girl sat with her knees to her chest and her bowl of food at her feet, untouched. Her cheeks were a little puffy and she was staring off into space. Sango had informed her that Ivy and Sean had signed up as a couple.

A wasp-like bug buzzed past her face and Kagome jumped. Annoyed, she shooed the insect away. It deftly dodged her hand and flew over to the pile of fish guts that Inuyasha had left sitting on the cave floor. She scowled at the offending half-demon.

"Inuyasha, you are going to clean that up soon, right?" Her voice echoed slightly in the silence. Inuyasha looked at her, then down at the pile of innards.

"You don't like it, you clean it up," he shrugged, uncaring. Kagome growled. He simply put another bite of fish into his mouth and raised an eyebrow.

"You made the mess, Inuyasha. Besides, it's already attracting bugs. Who knows what else it may attract later," Kagome snapped pointedly. Inuyasha took the time to drain his bowl completely before turning back to her.

"Make me, bitch."

Kagome stared at him for a long moment, as the familiar smirk of victory began to touch the corners of his mouth. With a sigh, she decided it really was not worth the fight at this point. A frown of disgust crossed her face as she scooped the entrails up off the cave floor. Inuyasha snorted in satisfaction.

Suddenly, Kagome dropped the innards onto his head. Inuyasha sputtered in shock before turning fierce golden eyes up at the girl. Kagome 'humphed' and looked very pleased with herself. Soft laughter rose from the group and Inuyasha growled.

Kagome had only a moment to consider that her actions were probably not the smartest move she could have made before the half-demon was literally in her face. All she could see were narrowed golden eyes, and his deep rolling growl was ringing in her ears. She swallowed hard. The cave had fallen deadly silent.

Inuyasha took a step towards her, and she took one in retreat. Kagome kept retreating, her eyes never leaving his, until her back hit the firm stone of the cave wall. In her peripheral vision Kagome could see Sango jump to her feet. Inuyasha planted his hands firmly against the wall on either side of her head, bringing her attention fully back to him and cutting off any escape. Golden eyes flashed angrily and Kagome's breath caught. A memory of him taking on the giant cat slipped into her mind.

"Don't ever do that again." His voice was just above a whisper, but the promise in it spoke loud and clear. Kagome was not sure how she managed to nod her understanding, but somehow she made her neck work. Inuyasha stared her down for another minute before snorting and walking away. Kagome stayed against the wall as Inuyasha stomped out of the cave. He did not go far, but threw the entrails off into the forest as he pulled them from his hair and clothes.

"Kagome," Sango was at her side in an instant. "Are you ok?" Kagome nodded numbly.

&&&

Miroku looked up at the night sky. Unlike the sludgy atmosphere of Earth, the heavens of this planet were crystal clear and thousands of stars sparkled down on him. The two moons shown like carefully hung spheres among their smaller companions. Closest and largest was the moon with a slightly blue hue, while the other was more of a golden-red orb. The blue moon was round and full, the red was only a sliver in the sky. He might have found it a very spiritual moment had his mind not been miles away.

The young priest found himself at a quandary. He had volunteered to join this mission in order to provide the spiritual guidance and moral support the people would probably need. Yet he was unprepared for such a situation. Ivy had asked him to perform funeral rites for Sean, to help everyone through this casualty they had suffered. But by traditions, he first needed a body to cremate. Sean's body was still on the plains, if the bird-creatures had left anything, and no one was willing to try and retrieve it.

Inuyasha stomped passed, pulling the priest from his musings. The half-demon was covered in what could only be the entrails of the fish he had gutted earlier. Miroku rose to his feet, intent on helping, when a hand grasped his shoulder. Miroku turned to be met with Shippou's green eyes. The young fox shook his head in warning, before moving past the priest in Inuyasha's wake.

The fox kept his shoulders slumped as he approached the half-demon. He knew from experience that simply approaching the angry demon would likely end with him bruised and bloody. He may have had a roof over his head, but he had spent a lot of his life on the streets. Orphanages just were not high on the government's spending list, and if you wanted to eat every night, then you generally had to find it yourself.

"Inuyasha…" Shippou kept his movements non-threatening and stayed out of reach until he was given a sign to approach. Inuyasha half turned and growled at him. Shippou swallowed, but stood his ground. After a moment, Inuyasha snorted and looked away.

Still cautious, the fox demon moved closer and began to help peel fish guts from the other's clothes. The flesh came off without much fuss, but it left dark stains on the cloth.

"I don't need your help," Inuyasha groused, shrugging away Shippou's hand.

"I know," Shippou answered as he pulled something liver-like out of Inuyasha's hair with some effort.

"Then what the fuck are you doing?" Inuyasha growled. Shippou shrugged and tossed the last entrail into the forest. Failing to get a rise out of the other demon, Inuyasha looked away and folded his arms. "That bitch is really getting on my fucking nerves."

"Oh," Shippou answered, keeping his voice casual.

"She fucking dumped alien fish guts on me! And she thinks she knows everything."

Shippou gave him a sidelong look, "So what are you going to do about it?"

Inuyasha's ears twitched and flickered with angry energy, "I should have put that little bitch in her place." He cracked his knuckles for emphasis. Shippou hid a flinch. He did not need much help summoning up the image of similar scenes from his own past.

"Maybe." The fox demon looked casually down at his claw-like nails to keep himself calm. "But then what? We'd be a set of hands short. With all that's going on right now, we need all the people we can get. Besides," Shippou shrugged, "you made your point. No use wasting the energy."

"Keh."

Accepting that as Inuyasha's cue to leave, Shippou returned to the cave. Kagome had slid down the wall where she had been left. Sango and Miroku were next to her. At his approach, Sango stood up. Shippou expected her to meet him halfway, but was surprised when she marched past him. In an instant he had grabbed her arm. Sango turned and glared at him.

"Don't," Shippou's voice was soft but firm. Sango scowled and yanked her arm from his grasp.

"He has no right to treat people that way. Someone needs to teach him how to behave." Sango snapped and turned on her heels. Shippou grabbed her arm again, this time keeping a firm grip so she could not escape.

"If you value your life, you'll let him cool off."

"I was raised in the military, I can handle myself." Sango made to jerk her arm away, but Shippou held firm.

"This isn't the military," he reminded. "You aren't armed, and he only fights dirty. Right now he is very pissed and I doubt he will give you any quarter just because you're a girl."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sango growled.

"It means he will kick your ass!" Shippou snapped back.

"Both of you, please!" Miroku stepped between them. "We have already lost one this day; there is no need for more violence." When neither relented, Miroku physically stepped between them and pressed them apart. "No harm came to anyone; there is no need for further conflict." Sango snorted and stomped back to Kagome's side. Shippou relaxed and looked over his shoulder at the still brooding dog demon. "I have had plenty of practice dealing with his kind," Miroku's voice was soft and even. Shippou looked back at the priest. "I do not know the extent of Lady Sango's skills, but I do not think they are best tested under these circumstances." Shippou simply nodded in agreement.

With everything calming back down, Miroku returned to the entrance of the cave to look up at the sky and think. The moons had not moved from their high perch and the stars still had their careless twinkle. His own problem still remained – what to do about the last rites of the dead boy.

Miroku closed his eyes and let his mind wander. It traveled over old scriptures and texts, searching for a loophole that did not require a body. Tradition stated that a body was absolutely necessary; it had been that way for thousands of years. Even if it was only a finger, some part of the body must always be present or the soul could not be properly detached and could not move on. He sighed and frowned. He was out of options.

&&&

Morning dawned gray and wet. Soft, misty rain veiled the land in a thin fog. The group stirred from their various positions around the cave. During the night, Miroku and Inuyasha had both moved back into the relative safety of the cave. Breakfast was as quiet as dinner the previous night had been. The soup, since no fruit had been collected yesterday, was the only provision available. No one complained.

As the meal concluded, Miroku touched Sango's shoulder and beckoned her aside. "Lady Sango…" he paused, trying to decide the best way to phrase his request. "I need your assistance."

"With what?" Sango asked, looking up at him in confusion.

"You see, Ivy has requested that I give Sean his proper last rites, but…" Miroku let the statement hang in the air. Sango's eyes widened in horror.

"You can't do that!" Her voice rose in pitch and Miroku shushed her, "You can't do that. You have to have a body for last rites or the soul will not pass properly."

"I know. That is why I need your help."

"What? Me? How can I help?" Sango protested, "The closest I've ever been to the religious sect was when I had to go to private school."

"You see, Lady Sango, I have an idea that I believe may work, but I shall need you to help me convince the masses."

Sango narrowed her eyes. Something about his voice told her she was not going to like this one bit. "What's your idea?"

"I wish to burn Sean's belongings in place of his body," Miroku said seriously.

Sango blinked in confusion. "And that will allow his soul to pass on?" Miroku frowned.

"In all truth, I do not know."

"Then why…?"

"Back when I was just beginning my journey along the path of the church, I was approached by a young couple who had lost their child in an accident in which the body was unrecoverable. They wished a ceremony for the lost child, but were turned away at every temple because of the missing body. When they approached my master, he told them that he would perform the rites if they would bring him the child's belongings. He gave the items the rites and burned them in the traditional way.

"When it was all over, I questioned his methods. He simply smiled and replied that he did not know if burning the items would save the boy's soul, but it made the parents happy. And he was right; the couple left the temple looking as if a great weight had been lifted from their shoulders." Miroku smiled slightly as he looked out over the forest. "I wish only to give everyone a bit of closure. I cannot help Sean now, but I can help those he left behind." He looked back at her, a serious gleam in his eyes, "Will you help me, Lady Sango?"

"Yeah…" Sango muttered as she nodded.

"Thank you." Miroku bowed his head slightly. With one person already on his side, he felt calmer. Now all he had to do was raise the issues with the group.

"This does not change anything." Kagome's voice broke into his thoughts and Miroku looked up. The young scientist was standing up, a determined look in her eyes.

"Sean is dead!" Ivy snapped back, her blond locks falling into her face. "Don't you understand that?"

"So what?" Kagome lashed back, "You want to sit here until we starve or freeze or fall prey to something, for the sake of moping about and feeling sorry for yourself."

"I'm grieving!"

"Grieve and work at the same time," Kagome was on a roll. All her pent up frustration was coming out in a huge unstoppable wave, taking down anyone in its path. "Life doesn't stop just because someone died. We still have to eat, still have to sleep, still need to keep warm and dry. I refuse to give up just because there was a bump in the road. Now, for those of you who aren't cowards, I am going back to the plains to collect some of the grass and to get some fruit. Anyone who wants to come with me better do it now." She turned sharply on her heels and started walking, not bothering to look back.

"Hey, Kagome, wait up. I'll come with you." Shippou called as he hurried after her. The fox demon gave her a grin as he fell into step beside her. "Can't let you go wandering off on your own."

"I'm coming too," Sango shouted. "We need more firewood while we're out." Kagome stopped and looked back as Sango caught up.

The young scientist sighed. "Food, grass, and firewood. We need more than three people for this. Any other volunteers?" The others looked at each other for a moment before Krishna stood up.

"I will take a few people and gather firewood, if that is a suitable alternative?"

"That works." Kagome sighed. "Anyone else?"

"I will accompany you." The deep voice rolled over the group. The young man who stood was an impressive figure. Tall and lean, he looked like he had worked hard everyday of his life. Not an ounce of fat clung to his muscles. His dark brown hair was tousled and unruly, and his hazel eyes flashed. Judging from his distinct voice, Kagome was sure she had never heard him speak before now.

"Good," Kagome smiled

"I'm coming too," Kouga stood up. "No one will ever say I ran away with my tail between my legs." Miroku made a face, but said nothing.

"Then let's go," Kagome said with a nod.

&&&

Kouga and Shippou moved cautiously towards the tree line, ears perked to catch the slightest sound, nostrils flared to take in every scent, and eyes wide to catch any flash of movement. In the cool morning air, the plains were alive. Animals that had kept close together during the heat of the day were now spread out over the grass, trying to eat all the grass they could reach. A careful sweep of the area turned up no signs of the birds.

The two demons signaled to the others and they moved out into the grass. Several animals looked up at them, curious and cautious about these new creatures in their midst. A horse-like creature with a small head and interchanging tan and mahogany stripes on a compact body shook its short mane and snorted at them. Another animal, thick and heavyset on squat legs with a greenish moss-like film growing on its armor-like grey hide, squinted at them through beady eyes on its large head. Disinterested, it opened a gaping mouth and tore up a huge amount of grass.

Kagome carefully led the group forward into the grass, assessing how much danger each creature presented them. None of the local fauna seemed perturbed by their presence, even if they kept a wary eye on them. Working fast, and looking around them often, the group gathered as much of the grass as they could carry.

They made quick work of their task, but it still took over an hour to complete. The sun was already beginning to burn through the clouds and dried the rain-kissed ground when they retreated back into the forest. The birds never showed.

The five made their way back to the cave feeling much more lighthearted than they had since dusk the night before. Their arms were full of grass and a few spare packs were brimming with fruit.

"That wasn't so bad," Shippou sighed.

"Trust me," Sango answered with a sidelong look, "Last time was much worse. Those things were monsters."

"They weren't monsters, Sango," Kagome groaned. "They're just animals, plain and simple."

Kouga snorted and shifted the pack over his shoulder. "Too damn smart to be animals if you ask me. They snuck up on us and attacked. They knew exactly what they were doing."

"There is nothing that says an animal can't be intelligent," Kagome replied. "Humans, and for that matter demons, are animals and we are very intelligent." Kouga snorted again, but made no further comment.

"There is water beyond the plains, correct?" Charon, the lean man who had accompanied them, asked.

"That's right." Kagome nodded.

"Fat lot of good that does us," Kouga huffed. "We'd have to get by those fucking birds to reach it."

Charon frowned and ignored him. "My father built boats for a living and taught me and my brother everything he knew. Given time and sufficient resources, I'm sure I could create a craft capable of water travel."

"You can?" Shippou asked, eyebrows raised.

Charon nodded, "I'm sure it can be accomplished, but it will take time. All my experience is in transports over oil slicks."

"That doesn't change the fact we have to deal with those birds first," Kouga cut in.

Kagome sighed in exasperation, "Fine, what do you want to do about them?"

The wolf demon gave her a look that made her skin crawl. "I say we take care of them."

"Take care of them…" Sango repeated slowly, "What do you mean?"

"It's not that hard to grasp," Kouga answered as they emerged from the forest in front of the cave. Several people turned towards them curiously.

Kagome noticed that they had indeed gathered plenty of firewood, and Miroku was busy directing the stacking of the timber into two separate piles – a large one inside the cave and a small one outside. She also noticed that Inuyasha had washed the rest of the fish entrails off. It was nice to see that, for the first time, it seemed everyone was pitching in. Now if they would just keep it up.

"The simple solution," Kouga went on, "is to eliminate them." The cave fell completely silent.

"Come again?" Branwen asked as she set down a small limb in the smaller second pile, pushing a dark curl out of her face.

Kouga nodded, looking very assured with his idea, "That's right. We'll just go in and kill them and our problem will be solved."

Kagome fixed him with an incredulous look. "Just like that, huh?" Kouga nodded. "You are an idiot."

"Excuse me?" he growled back.

"I said, you… are… an… idiot," Kagome hissed, dropping her burden onto the cave floor. "Not only are they bigger than us, stronger than us, faster than us, and possibly smarter than us, they have the 'home field advantage,'" Her hands came up to rest on her hips as she glared at the wolf demon. "Those creatures have evolved over who knows how many millions of years to fill the niche they are in. They have adaptations we can't even begin to dream of, much less understand.

"Furthermore, all that killing those things will accomplish is to make the same mistakes our ancestors made on Earth. No matter what it seems like, our resources are not limitless, and to treat them as such can ultimately only bring us to the same fate as those before us.

"If you really think you can kill those things, have at it. But it's a fool's whimsy." She spun on her heels and sat down next to the pile of grass as Sango, Charon, and Shippou added their loads as well. "Emer, will you teach me to do this?" Behind her, Kouga growled.

The next moment happened very fast, almost too fast for Kagome to register. Kouga spat out a curse and, as Kagome turned to reply, he swung. Her eyes snapped shut instinctively. A loud slap of flesh on flesh made her wince, even though she felt no pain.

Opening her eyes, she found Shippou standing between them, his palm cupping Kouga's fist and preventing the wolf from hitting her. Both demons let out deep growls as they vied for dominance.

Shippou gave way first, tumbling backwards over Kagome and landing in the pile of grass with a loud oomph. With a grin, Kouga brought his fist back again. This time he did not get a chance to swing. The wolf demon let out a pain-filled yelp as he found himself facedown on the stone floor, his arm twisted up behind him. Inuyasha knelt on his back, one knee firmly on his spine.

"Listen, and listen good, you asshole, because I'm only going to warn you once. Pull shit like that again and you'll never get the chance to throw your life away to those birds," He ground his knee deeper and Kouga groaned. "You got that?" Kouga nodded as best he could and Inuyasha let up. "Go make yourself useful." The dog demon growled as he placed himself firmly between Kagome and Kouga. The wolf climbed to his feet, gave a final growl, and stormed off.

Inuyasha 'humphed,' turned around, and moved past her. He extended a hand to the fallen fox demon, and helped him to his feet. Shippou muttered a 'thank you' and Inuyasha shrugged.

With fresh fruit to eat, they returned to their work, albeit a little more subdued than before. There was a tangible tension in the air between Inuyasha and Kouga, but no more fights broke out. Emer sat near the pile of grass, the bundle Kouga had dropped having been added to it as well, and began weaving simple grass mats. She taught everyone who was willing to learn, but it still took several hours to make enough for everyone.

It was fast closing in on the noon hour when they finally had all the mats made and the wood in piles. Someone had gone for water, and Kirara stoked the dying fire back to life and made soup. As the group settled in to eat, Miroku cleared his throat. Sango looked over at him and swallowed.

"I received a request," Miroku began slowly. "An anonymous request, to give Sean his last rites." A murmur went through the group and he was met with many skeptical and doubtful looks. "I realize this is unorthodox, but I believe that, under the circumstances, the Gods will understand."

"That's why you had us place the wood into two piles." Inuyasha accused. Miroku nodded guiltily. The half-demon rolled his eyes.

"What is your idea, Lord Miroku?" Jamie asked, her voice small and tentative.

"I propose we cremate Sean's belongings in place of his body." Miroku answered. His statement was followed by a pregnant pause and he swallowed thickly.

"That's a stupid idea," Inuyasha snapped.

"You're horrible!" Ivy barked back. "Sean deserves his last rites just like everyone else."

"Humph, save the bleeding heart for someone who gives a fuck. There's no good fucking reason to burn supplies we can use."

"I have to say," Shippou added slowly as Ivy let out an impressive growl for a human. "I'm inclined to agree with Inuyasha. We have limited supplies; there is no reason to waste them."

"But…" Ivy argued.

"They are right," Kagome nodded in agreement. Then she turned a placating smile on Ivy, "But I'm sure a compromise can be reached."

"Like what?" Ivy screamed, angry tears making their way down her face. "What right do you, any of you, have to decide how to split up someone's possessions?" Kagome raised a pacifying hand, but the girl was already on her feet. "The only one with any brains around here is Kouga! At least he wants to do something about the problem! The rest of you are content to-to-to make grass mats and divide up a poor dead boy's belongings after he was ripped limb from limb by monsters!"

Miroku stood and grasped the hyperventilating girl by the shoulders, "Lady Ivy, you need to calm down." She tried to shake him off, but only managed a weak twist. Miroku gently led her away from the group.

"What's her fucking problem?" Inuyasha spat.

"You are an ass, Inuyasha," Sango replied calmly.

"I concur," Gawain agreed, turning his large yellow eyes on the half-demon. "The girl has lost her best friend and we are speaking of him as an object. Show some sensitivity." Inuyasha replied with a rude gesture.

"Look," Kagome cut in. "I'm not disagreeing with Inuyasha and Shippou, and I can see Ivy's side too. But I have to think of the group as a whole, and it is best not to waste possible supplies."

"Looks like there is a brain bouncing around in that skull of yours," Inuyasha quipped, earning himself a number of dark looks. Kagome ignored him.

"So," She glanced over her shoulder to see Miroku helping Ivy sit back against the wall. The girl's tears had dried and the sleepiness that followed was setting in. "Once Ivy is asleep, an objective party member will go through Sean's stuff and determine what we could possibly use and what can be used for Sean's last rites."

"I nominate Shippou." Inuyasha nodded as if it was decided.

"Me?" Shippou choked on the bite of fruit in his mouth.

"That's not fair!" Aodh objected. He was a white tiger demon, with short white hair split with a single black stripe down the middle. Bright blue eyes flashed and a delicate feline fang peeked over his bottom lip. "The fox has already made his choice. I say let the priest decide."

"The priest will want it all burned," Savannah argued. Kagome sighed and shook her head.

"How about this," Sango compromised. "Shippou and Miroku will both go through the items together, that way there is a voice from each side. Is that agreeable to everyone?" No one had any arguments. "Good."

&&&

Miroku and Shippou looked at the items laid out before them. It was not much. There was the pack the things had been in, a few pairs of clean clothes, a simple silver necklace with the symbolic triangle on the end, a handful of sweets, and a holophoto of Sean and Ivy and another of Sean and an elderly woman. Among his less personal items were his eating utensils, a poor excuse for a blanket, and a simple first aid box.

"So," Shippou drawled slowly, "what stays and what goes?"

"Let her have the holophotos, and the triangle." Miroku offered.

Shippou nodded, "Agreed." He paused to hold up the blanket, "It's not much, but we can probably do something with it. The first aid supplies too."

"And the rest?" Miroku asked, kneeling down next to the fox demon.

"Well, some one could use the clothes, the pack we can use to carry things, and there's no reason to waste the utensils." The fox shrugged, "She can have the sweets if she wants them."

"I think something personal should go."

"What do you want…?" Shippou asked, his voice neutral but his eyes narrowed.

Miroku looked at the choices before him, resting his chin in his hand as he thought. "The pack."

"No, too useful," Shippou crossed his arms.

"But look at it," the priest argued, calmly lifting the pack for Shippou's inspection. "This is custom made. It has his name monogrammed on it. Someone spent a lot of money on this."

"What's your point?"

"It was obviously of great personal value and is most likely to retain traces of his soul. Besides that, with his name on it, it would be cruel to flash it around Lady Ivy. She obviously feels very deeply for him and I see no reason to inflict further undue harm on her."

Shippou sighed, closing his eyes as he weighed both sides. After a few minutes he looked back at the priest. "It's a useful item and I shouldn't do this…" Miroku nodded slowly. "But things are bad enough without causing more tension. You can have the pack, but it is against my better judgment."

"Understood," Miroku smiled. "Anything else?"

"No."

"Then I have a job to do." The priest gathered the items they had agreed upon and moved off towards the small pile of wood. Shippou shook his head and gathered the remaining items.

Miroku carefully laid the pack, holophotos, triangle, and the sweets on the woodpile. Aodh woke Ivy from her restless doze and the group began to gather around. Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably at the back. Miroku began to recite the last rites and the half-demon inched away. As the fire began to catch the wood, he moved to the deepest part of the cave and sat with his back against the hard stone. He grumbled to himself and closed his eyes, shutting out the make-shift pyre.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **_Wow, lots of great reviews! And so many questions. But first I'd like to give special thanks to QueenTatooine, who reviewed every story I have and has asked some fabulous questions for this story. You remind me of my betas, they ask me a lot of the same questions. I'll answer as many as I can, but I don't want to give too much away so I can't answer them all._

_Now, with out further ado... **Q&A**_

**Q)** _What are the big birds called?_

**A) **_The birds are TerraraptorsTerra meaning Earth or ground, and Raptor being a bird of prey._

**Q) **_Is there going to be romance? What are the pairings?_

**A) **_Yes, there will be romance, but not in the traditional sense. As for pairings, there will be mostly traditional (Inuyasha and Kagome are my favorite couple), but some will take longer then others._

**Q) **_How large is the group?_

**A) **_This group is decent sized, it's not huge, but it's not small either. Because of my need for a great variety of characters I have not picked a specific number. You'll get to meet more of them as the story progresses, but, as in all stories, you'll only get to really know a few of them._

**Q)**_ Why so few supplies?_

**A)**_ This something that will be brought up soon (ch 10) so I won't spoil the surprise._

**Q)**_ How old are the people in the group?_

**A)**_ The ages range from late teens to early twenties. Shippou is on the younger end, while Kagome and Inuyasha are a bit older._

_**Foundations of Neo Genesis**_

Chapter 9

Inuyasha looked down at the watery soup in his bowl and scowled. It was neither filling nor satisfying; it simply kept the painful hunger that had begun to gnaw at the edge of his stomach at bay. He was no stranger to hunger, but that did not mean he welcomed it either. It was clear he had to have something else, and if he ate another piece of fruit he was going to hurl. No, he needed what the carnivore in him craved.

Leaving the bowl untouched on the ground, Inuyasha moved through the group looking for Shippou – smirking as several people gave him wide berth. The fox demon was found sitting next to Kirara – talking animatedly about something – while the girl looked rather amused. He tapped Shippou on the shoulder, and gestured for him to follow. Shrugging to Kirara, Shippou did as he was asked.

Inuyasha led him to the edge of the forest before turning and looking around, making sure no one had followed. Finally, he turned his full attention back to the younger demon, "I don't know about you, but I can't eat that goddamn soup anymore."

"It is getting old…" Shippou agreed.

"I don't care what science-girl over there thinks, I need some meat."

Shippou narrowed his eyes a fraction, "What are you planning?"

"We're going hunting," Inuyasha smirked. "Get a few people together. Just demons, the humans will only be in the way." Shippou started to protest, but his stomach growled, reminding him his only other option was the thin soup. Frowning, he nodded and turned back to the group. With Shippou gone, Inuyasha turned his attention to Kagome. While he doubted she could stop him, she would raise a fuss – one he had no patience to deal with. For the moment, however, she was talking with Miroku and had not noticed anything out of the ordinary.

Shippou returned shortly with Aodh, Krishna, and two demons Inuyasha had not met. The first was tall, almost a head taller than Inuyasha, and lean. He had deep brown eyes and yellow-brown hair. When the light hit his pale skin at just the right angle, darker circular spots appeared. The other demon was only half the height of his companion, but was more heavily built. He had a mop of soft brown hair and matching eyes. Inuyasha's nose told him they were a cheetah and bear demon respectively.

"This is Xun and Furmin," Shippou introduced. "I think you already know Aodh and Krishna." Inuyasha nodded.

"What is this about?" Xun, the cheetah demon, asked. "The fox said something about real food."

"Yeah," Furmin grunted dully. "Where is it?"

"We're going hunting," Inuyasha answered simply.

Krishna raised an eyebrow, "We are? Has Kagome approved this?"

"No, and none of you are going to tell her either," Inuyasha growled.

"Why shouldn't we?" Aodh challenged. "And on top of that, why should we listen to you?" The two round tiger ears atop his head lay back in irritation. Inuyasha's lips curled back and flashed his fangs. Aodh responded in kind, meeting Inuyasha's scowl with one of his own.

Abruptly, Inuyasha snorted. "Fine, don't come. See if I give a fuck. Go back to your soup, kitten." Aodh snarled, showing his fangs all the way to the gums.

"Peace, please," Krishna stepped between them. "This is accomplishing nothing."

"Keh!" was Inuyasha's only acknowledgment, not letting his eyes stray from Aodh for a second. The tiger demon gave a final growl and looked away. Inuyasha grunted in victory. "Good. Now, everyone go get whatever weapons you brought." The other demons gave him blank stares.

"What weapons?" Shippou asked.

Aodh raised an eyebrow, "What? Did you miss the memo, dog-breath? 'No unauthorized, illegal, or otherwise unapproved armaments will be allowed.'"

"Before we were allowed on, all our bags were searched," Xun added. "Anything on the unapproved list was confiscated."

"You're stuff wasn't searched?" Furmin asked, blinking his dull brown eyes.

"No," Inuyasha scowled. "I have a dagger." He pulled the aforementioned article from the waistband of his pants. It was old, the blade nicked and rusting in places. He turned it over in his hand before looking back at the gathered demons. "So you're telling me, I have the only weapon on this whole godforsaken planet."

"Looks like it," Aodh huffed in distaste. Inuyasha's scowl deepened.

"We should not dwell on things that cannot be changed," Krishna pointed out. "We should simple work with what is available."

"You sound like that fucking priest," Inuyasha huffed, tucking his dagger back into his waistband. Aodh growled softly. "Let's go." Inuyasha turned on his heels – pointedly ignoring the tiger demon – and walked into the forest, the others trailing tentatively in his wake. The group at large was too engrossed in their tasks of talking and waving to notice the departure.

Inuyasha led them along the trail that was beginning to form from the group's daily trips to the river. He vaguely recalled Kagome saying something about predators hunting near water because all animals needed to drink. If nothing else it would serve as a good starting point.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing?" Aodh snipped. Inuyasha looked back and bared his fangs.

"Of course I know what I'm doing. I hunted wild game all the time back home." Inuyasha snarled, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "What the fuck do you think?"

"Liron, child of Kratos and Caru, help us," Aodh breathed. "This halfling is going to get us killed." Inuyasha froze mid-stride and turned around. The 'halfling' comment was nothing new, he had heard it all his life. Still, it struck a chord of fury deep inside him that resonated out in a fierce snarl. Just as his hand was forming a fist, Krishna stepped between them again.

"That is enough. Nothing will be accomplished at this rate."

"And if all you're going to do is cause problems," Xun added, "then you can go back. This is new to all of us." Furmin nodded his agreement and grunted.

"Fine," Aodh huffed. "So what's your master plan oh fearless leader?"

Inuyasha snorted, and grudgingly let the insult drop. "We're going to the river. We should be able to pick up a trail or something there." He started marching again, not bothering to see if anyone followed.

The small clearing around the river was as calm as ever. The water hurried past, bubbling against rocks. Unseen creatures chattered in the trees, and a gentle breeze swept away the gathering heat.

"Umm… Inuyasha?" Shippou ventured carefully. "Do you have a plan or something in mind?"

The half-demon shrugged, "Science-girl said predators hunt near water because all animals have to drink eventually. So, either we set a trap or follow some tracks we find around the water."

"And that will work?" Krishna asked.

"No fucking idea."

"Goody," Aodh huffed. Inuyasha ignored him and knelt down on the bank. Just as Kagome had predicted, the soft moist soil was littered with prints of all kinds. Inuyasha frowned. The prints were of all different sizes and shapes. Some were obviously made by the people from the group, but most he could not begin to identify. Some were cloven, some solid, and some were paw-like. The prints sank to different depths in different places. Inuyasha furrowed his brow in frustration.

"Sooo," Xun drawled. "Anyone know anything about tracking?"

"We could smell 'um out," Furmin offered.

"But what would we find when we got to the other end of that scent?" Krishna pointed out. "I, for one, do not wish to run into those birds or that cat thing again. Ever, the gods willing."

"Agreed," Shippou nodded as he crouched down next to Inuyasha. "So a trap it is. What kind do you think, Inuyasha?"

"Why are you asking him?" Aodh growled.

The fox demon slowly turned to look at him with a dry expression. "Have you ever set a trap?" Aodh snorted in response and looked away. "I didn't think so."

"What have you ever trapped?" Xun asked carefully, not sure he really wanted an answer.

"Rats mostly," Inuyasha shrugged. "They make a better meal than you think."

"I hope to all the gods that you are joking," Aodh grimaced. "Because that is _disgusting_." Inuyasha only shrugged. He continued picking his way along the water's edge, looking at the dirt. Everyone else watched, unsure what he was searching for. After several minutes he rolled to his feet and stretched.

"So...?" Xun prompted.

"So what?" Inuyasha glared back. "They're just footprints in dirt."

"Gee, thanks," Aodh sneered. "We couldn't have guessed that one ourselves."

"What does it mean?" Krishna clarified.

"How the fuck should I know that?" Inuyasha growled.

"But you were..." Furmin gestured towards the ground.

Inuyasha snorted and rolled his eyes. "You people really don't have a fucking clue, do you." He pulled his knife from his waistband and idly rolled it between his fingers. "I guess no one brought any rope, did they." It was not a question. The gathered shook their heads. "Fuck, well I ain't got enough and it's still at camp anyway." He continued rolling the blade and frowning.

"What about those?" Krishna asked, pointing to the treetops on the other side of the river. Everyone followed his gaze. High in the trees, twisting around the upper branches, was a tangle of vines. They had broad blue-green leaves with large red flowers spread sparingly along them.

"Doesn't matter, does it?" Xun shrugged. "They're way up there and we're not."

"Hey, mutt, wanna scurry up there and get us some?" Aodh prodded. Inuyasha growled and bared his fangs.

"I can do it," Shippou cut in, his head tilted back as he seemed to judge the distance.

"Really?" Furmin grunted. "Looks awful high to me."

"I'm generally a good climber," Shippou shrugged. "Never climbed a tree before, though. But no time like the present, I guess. Can I borrow that?" He gestured to the knife Inuyasha was still rolling. The dog demon shrugged, tossed the knife into the air, and caught it by the tip of the blade. He tilted it down, offering the hilt to the other demon. "Thanks," Shippou nodded and Inuyasha shrugged again.

Slipping the blade into the waistband of his pants, Shippou forded the river and moved to the base of the nearest tree. The other's followed curiously. He circled it once, looking it up and down as he went. Finally, he crouched below the lowest branch, gathered his legs beneath him, and sprang. He hit the trunk with a loud 'oomph,' almost three feet below the lowest branch, and grabbed on.

"This looks promising," Aodh sighed, wringing river water out of his shirt as he stepped out of the river and looked up.

"Shut up," Inuyasha snapped, shaking the water from his hair. With a grunt, Shippou reached up and dug his claws into the soft bark. What had started as a elegant leap into the trees had turned into an undignified shimmy up the trunk. The bark tore his shirt and scratched his skin, but he managed to pull himself up the last few feet to the branch and heaved himself to a sitting position. "That was graceful," Inuyasha shouted up from the ground.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Shippou snorted. "Jump higher next time, I know." He tilted his head back and looked at the other branches. After a few quick mental calculations he nodded to himself and stood up. He found the large branch much easier to stand on than the narrow window ledges and flag poles he was used to, and balanced easily. With practiced grace he bounded, leapt, and pulled himself into the upper branches.

Finally, he settled onto the branch just under the tangle of vines. Leaning against the trunk, letting his legs dangle freely beneath him, he leaned out over the branch and waved. Krishna, Xun, and Furmin waved back. Inuyasha shouted something that sounded like "today, fox," but it was hard to tell for sure. Shippou guessed he was at least five stories up; he'd climbed higher many times before, so it did not bother him much.

Taking the knife from his waistband, and checking that the vines were thorn free, he grabbed one and sliced through it. Almost immediately, sticky sap began to drip from the plant's wound and onto Shippou's hand. He made a face, before wiping the goo on his pants leg and going back to his task. He pulled at the vine until he had a good ten feet free, then cut it again and watched it fall to the ground below. Shippou cut several more vines the same way, each time getting more and more sticky.

The trip down the tree was a fairly simple one, though he found the plant gunk made it very hard to let go of the branches sometimes.

On the ground, Inuyasha picked up a length of vine and studied it. After a few experimental tugs to test its strength, he made a small loop on one end. Next, he threaded the rest of the vine through the loop so he had a larger slip loop. He repeated the process with the other lengths of vine.

"This is your brilliant plan?" Aodh asked examining one of the loops. "Lassos?" Inuyasha snorted and turned towards Shippou as the fox demon landed next to him. He had a look of disgust on his face as he tried to wipe the vine sap from his hands. Unsuccessful, he went to the river and tried to wash it off. He also washed the knife clean before returning it to its owner.

"It isn't a lasso, micro-brain. It's a snare," Inuyasha huffed. "It's pretty simple to use – even for you."

"Fuck you, halfling," Aodh snapped back.

Inuyasha spun around and snarled, the vine in his hand dropping to the ground before his hand curled into a fist. "Say that one more time and I'm going to beat the shit out of you."

"Oh, yeah," Aodh crossed his arms, "Let's see you do it. Halfling." There was a loud crack as fist met jaw and Aodh's head snapped back. The tiger recovered quickly, and dodged another punch by inches. Inuyasha lunged, grabbing him around the stomach and tackling the taller demon to the ground, fangs bared.

Aodh snarled back, catching the fist aimed for his face and returning a punch of his own to the dog demon's chin. Inuyasha's head snapped up with the force, but he showed no indication that he was hurt. The captured fist yanked free and opened, claw-like nails glistening in a small shaft of light.

"– stop it! Both of you stop it now!" Shippou grabbed Inuyasha's wrist in both hands, stopping the incoming attack. Furmin took hold of both shoulders, and together they dragged the cursing dog demon off the tiger. Before Aodh could take advantage of the situation, Krishna and Xun grabbed him and hauled him to his feet. "You are both acting like children!" The panther continued to reprimand.

"Fuck you!" Inuyasha snapped, wrenching his arm free and elbowing Shippou in the stomach. The fox demon stumbled backwards, coughing. Inuyasha turned on Furmin, but the bear seemed unimpressed. With his grip still firm on the dog demon's shoulders, he avoided the swing easily. Inuyasha thrashed angrily, but Furmin proved to be far stronger than him.

"Enough!" Krishna yelled, "Fighting among ourselves solves nothing."

"Oh, and this," Aodh snatched up one of the vines and threw it at the dog demon, "does?"

"No one forced you to come!" Inuyasha yelled back, still fighting the bear demon's vice-like grip.

"Stop it! For the love of the gods, stop it!" Krishna yelled over both of them.

"Fuck you!" Inuyasha snapped. Aodh humphed and turned his back on the other demon.

"Let us at least attempt Inuyasha's plan," the jaguar reasoned. "If it fails, then we have lost nothing but a little time and will have gained knowledge from the experience."

"You sound like that priest," Inuyasha repeated in a huff as he yanked away from Furmin and grabbed the vines off the ground.

Krishna pursed his lips but continued. "Please show us how to use these snares."

"Keh," he snorted. "It's simple. Pick a spot, lay the loop open on the ground, cover it, then hold the other end and hide."

"Then what?" Xun asked, his eyebrow raised.

"Then you sit and wait." Inuyasha answered flatly, annoyed.

"Great plan," Aodh drawled as he snatched one of the vines off the ground and walked away. Inuyasha picked up another vine and found a place near the water's edge. Kagome said all animals came to the water to drink eventually, and he had no reason not to believe her. Leaning down, he carefully shifted the soft sand near the water so that it covered the vine, then stood back to examine his work.

"Inuyasha," Shippou ventured, his voice low and his eyes on his feet. The dog demon glanced at him and scowled. Shippou swallowed, waiting for something to happen. He flinched slightly when a less than gentle cuff caught him on the ear. Peeking up through his bangs, Shippou saw him still scowling.

"You're an irritating runt. I kept that damn wolf off you, and this is what I get for it?" Shippou had no answer for him and watched his feet as they crushed the dead leaves under his nervous shifting. Another cuff to his ear made him wince, but it was followed by a snort Shippou understood to mean Inuyasha had lost interest. Another length of silence stretched out, and Inuyasha took the time to find a place to conceal himself within reach of the snare.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten involved." Shippou kept his voice low so the others would not hear the conversation.

"Damn right," Inuyasha growled. "It was my fight and I don't need your help to whip that stupid kitten's ass." Shippou bit his lip, doubting he had earned the dog demon's good grace back. Deciding there was nothing else he could do for now, Shippou took the last snare from its place on the ground and hunted around for a good place to set up.

Hours passed in bored silence. All around them the forest hummed with the cries of animals, rustle of leaves, and songs of insects; but nothing ventured into the small clearing. It did not help that most of them could not sit still for very long or Aodh's occasional snide comments – followed by Inuyasha's "shut up." At one point Krishna suggested they remove their shoes to keep the hard soles from crunching the dead leaves and giving them away.

The sun was beginning to sink low, turning the sky into a burning crimson red and casting deep shadows through the forest, when they appeared. Tentatively at first, the small deer-like creatures made their way into the clearing. Each was no larger then a medium-sized dog-droid, with dainty legs and sleek bodies. The creatures were silvery-white in color, and flashed like a camera bulb whenever a dapple of light hit it. Dark pronged horns crowned the heads of several of the larger animals. They moved in a group of about twenty towards the water's edge.

Inuyasha swallowed and tightened his grip on the vine. The deer ventured closer, their large ears alert for the slightest sound and the nostrils on their black noses flared to pick up any scent. Several of them stopped and Inuyasha froze. A moment passed and he was sure they could hear his heart pounding in his chest. The deer moved on, the need for water overcoming their caution.

He trained his eyes on the patch of sand where his snare was hidden, watching as several deer missed stepping into it by inches. The half-demon cursed under his breath as his legs began to cramp from not moving and the deer still evaded the snare. One deer placed a forefoot directly on the hidden vine and a hind foot into the center of the trap.

Inuyasha lost his patience. With a fierce jerk he sprung the snare. The deer gave a squall of surprise as its feet came out from under it. The other deer scattered, leaping off into the bush, white coats flashing dazzlingly as they ran. The captured deer struggled and kicked as Inuyasha dug in his heels. A flailing limb swung at his stomach and he leapt back instinctively, letting go of the vine. The deer was up and running in an instant.

Aodh dove out of his hiding place, just missing being trampled. Krishna and Shippou both jumped away as well; Shippou jumping into a nearby tree to get out of the way. Xun was not as fortunate. He dodged one fleeing deer only to be knocked to the ground by another. His foot caught on a root and twisted painfully, then snapped as a large deer landed on it.

Furmin dove from his hiding place, grabbing desperately at the vine Inuyasha had lost. He did not see the other deer until it leapt. In its panicked escape, the creature barreled straight into the bear demon, impaling him with its pronged antlers. Furmin's mouth opened in a soundless scream as the vine fell from his grasp.

The little deer-like creature kept going, knocking the demon to the side as he pushed past. Furmin hit the ground with a thud and curled into a ball. The rest of the herd rushed out the newly formed escape route, several landing on or kicking the downed bear demon in the process.

"Shit," Shippou whispered in disbelief as the dust settled. The creatures had vanished into the forest with only their frightened cries echoing after them. For a long moment nobody moved, as if the creatures had cast a spell rooting them into place. As the sounds of the deer faded away, Furmin's desperate gasps for air took their place. Krishna was the first to move.

The jaguar demon knelt down and carefully turned Furmin on his back as the rest gathered around. His shirt was already covered in blood as was the patch of grass and dead leaves he was lying on. His breath came in harsh but almost silent gasps, as if his lungs refused to work. He convulsed and coughed, blood bubbling up and trickling down his cheek. Furmin turned on his side again, curling around his injured stomach. His mouth moved, forming words without sound, and unfocused eyes turned up to the small group.

"Do something!" Aodh snapped at no one in particular.

"What do you want us to do?" Shippou snarled back. "None of us are doctors!"

"He looks pretty bad," Krishna's voice shook as he spoke. "We need to get him to Kirara." The black-haired demon made another attempt to roll Furmin onto his back, but the bear had become dead weight and refused to uncurl.

Inuyasha swore darkly, "Fuck! He'll never make it like this," He knelt down next to Krishna and forcibly made the bear roll onto his back and pried him out of the fetal position. "He'll bleed to death before we make it back." Inuyasha placed his hand over Furmin's stomach, pushing down until the demon flinched. He grabbed Krishna's wrist and placed the jaguar demon's hand over another wound. "Put pressure there until the bleeding stops."

"Don't waste time with your bullshit, halfling!" Aodh growled. "You're not a doctor. Pick him up and let's get back before he dies."

"Shippou, put your hand here," Inuyasha instructed, grabbing the fox's wrist and forcing him to comply. "Where the fuck is Xun?"

"Here," The cheetah answered weakly, limping out from behind a bush. His leg was torn open and bleeding. A jagged end of bone protruded from the wound. Xun leaned against a nearby tree just to keep himself upright.

"Crap. Aodh, help him," Inuyasha ordered, not caring that the tiger had already moved to comply.

Furmin had grown very still under their hands. He no longer tried to turn over or curl up, and his breathing was no longer coming in harsh gasps. Dull eyes stared up at the canopy, unblinking and unfocused. He gave a final weak cough, sending another trickle of blood down his cheek, a final desperate gasp for the breath he could not catch, and was still.

With a dark frown Inuyasha leaned close and turned his sensitive ear towards the demon's chest. After a moment he drew his blood covered hands away from the wounds.

"Is he... dead?" Shippou asked meekly. Inuyasha gave a single sharp nod and the fox pulled away as if the body had burned him. Krishna cringed away as well. Aodh and Xun both turned their heads away respectfully.

"I told you," Aodh growled. "We should have gone straight to that nurse. She would have known what to do."

"Fuck you!" Inuyasha snapped back, looking away from the body for the first time. "Do you really fucking think he would have lasted the entire way back? You're a moron!" Aodh growled but did not respond further.

"Now what?" Shippou asked tentatively.

"We should get Xun back to Kirara. She can fix his leg." Krishna answered. Inuyasha snorted.

"What about..." The young fox demon gestured towards the body. "We can't just leave him here."

"No choice," Aodh answered calmly, "None of us are ordained. It would be a sin for us to move the body now. We'll have to come back with the priest."

"But..." Shippou protested weakly. "There may not be a body to return to if we leave him."

"We will have to take that chance." The tiger shook his head, adjusting his grip on Xun so he would be easier to help him.

"I'll carry him back," Inuyasha grunted as he lifted the stout demon onto his back, grabbing his arms to keep him in place.

Aodh's eyes widened. "Bu-but it's a sin!"

The half-demon gave a mirthless chuckle, "The gods forsook me a long time ago, one more sin won't count much." The tiger's ears lay back slightly and a frown touched his lips, but he said nothing else.

Forging the river proved to be a difficult task. The rushing water pulled at the dead weight in Inuyasha's already aching arms, nearly causing the half-demon to drop his burden. With a growl, he heaved the bear onto his back and forced himself the rest of the way.

Xun was harder to get across; the flowing water tugged painfully at his leg. With Krishna and Aodh holding him up under each arm and Shippou gently holding his legs out of the water, they managed to make it across. On the other side they all sat down in the grass, gasping for breath. Xun leaned against a tree trunk to keep himself upright, his eyes staring forward, unfocused.

"We should hurry," Aodh said, making no effort to get back on his feet. "I think he may be going into shock."

"Okay," Shippou agreed. "Just let me get a drink." The fox demon pushed himself to his feet and walked the few steps to the river's edge before dropping back to his knees. The others followed suit, taking deep gulps of the cool liquid. When he was finished, Krishna used cupped hands to help Xun swallow a little as well.

"Come on," Inuyasha grunted as he lifted Furmin into his arms again. "It's not that much farther."

The return journey was slow going. Furmin's weight slowed Inuyasha down more then he would like to admit, but he refused help when Shippou offered. Xun's broken leg made it impossible to walk without help. The cheetah seemed to be fading in and out of consciousness as they walked, even as Krishna did his best to keep him talking.

It did not register to Inuyasha how horrible they must have looked until they walked into camp. All eyes turned their way only to widen a fraction of a second later. Inuyasha caught sight of Shippou out of the corner on his eye, as he set Furmin's body on the cave floor.

The fox demon was covered in dirt and mud, and river water soaked most of his torn clothes. His face was flushed from the exertion of the day and there was blood under his nails and on his clothes. Dead leaves and twigs were tangled his head, and Inuyasha realized they had failed to retrieve their shoes.

"Oh my gods!" Jamie cried, her mousy hair bouncing as she covered her mouth. Ricky recoiled as well, covering his watery eyes.

"What happened!" Sango demanded, "Where did you go? What were you thinking, wandering off on your own?" With a few clipped steps she crossed the cave and Inuyasha found himself looking straight in the ex-army girl's eyes. "I know you're behind this somehow! Where do you get off pulling a stunt like this?"

The half-demon growled back, flashing his fangs. "Just because the rest of you are willing to sit around on your asses hoping for the gods to hand you salvation on a silver fucking platter, doesn't mean I am! So get the fuck out of my face!" Before Sango could respond, he shoved her back. Her foot caught on Furmin, whom she had stepped over, and she fell hard onto her back. The girl growled up at him.

"Enough!" Miroku stepped between them. "There are more important matters at hand. Fault can be decided later," Sango gave a final glare and got to her feet; Inuyasha snorted in return. The priest looked down at the body at his feet then up at the half-demon, confused. "You took sin upon yourself to return his body?"

"Keh. Like I give a damn." Inuyasha turned away. The priest merely nodded.

"Are you hurt?" Kirara appeared from behind Miroku, her arms loaded with medical supplies.

"No. Help him," Inuyasha gestured over his shoulder. The smaller blond girl stood on her toes and leaned to the left to see where he was pointing. Her eyes widened at the site of Xun, hanging heavily between Krishna and Aodh. She dodged around the half-demon, and vanished from his view.

"Let's get out of everyone's way," Shippou suggested. Inuyasha grunted and they moved away from the flurry of activity centered around Xun. The two demons found an empty space against the cave wall and sat down. The cool stone felt good against the tired muscles of Inuyasha's back and he closed his eyes, leaning his head back.

"Inuyasha." Someone gave his shoulder a gentle shake and he growled something incoherent. "Inuyasha, wake up." The person shook his shoulder again, the voice more insistent.

"What the-" Inuyasha grumbled, opening his eyes. He blinked several times before things finally came into focus. Beyond the cave entrance night had fallen and a large fire now provided most of the light. Xun lay on one of the grass mats, a piece of cloth tucked under his head for support. He was sleeping peacefully. Most of the group members were setting out mats of their own, preparing for bed.

"Inuyasha." He turned towards the source of the voice and found himself looking straight at Kagome. She had a canteen in one hand, a bowl of steaming liquid in the other, and a mat over her arm. She gave him a gentle smile. "Here." She held the items out to him.

"What's this for?" Inuyasha asked suspiciously even as he accepted them.

"The mat is to sleep on. It's a little warmer than the ground, and this is some water and soup. I noticed you didn't eat this morning." She gave him a final smile before standing up and going back to Sango – who was sending him a death glare. Inuyasha looked down at the bowl of soup. It looked as thin and unappetizing as it had this morning. His stomach rumbled, reminding him that he had not eaten anything all day.

Inuyasha ate the soup.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:**_ Another chapter done, and chapter 11 already in the works. It seems it's all I can work on lately. First things first. Kudos to AEnimus, for making me look up the word Pendejo. Great word choise! On that thought, the first Question._

_**Q.** What is with Inuyasha? He's being a ass!_

_**A.** I admit, this is somewhat my fault. My beta reader, Kat, also pointed this out to me. I was so focused on making the story serious, I forgot that from time to time the readers need a small joke to break the tension. I shall do my best to rectify this._

_**Q.** How many people will die?_

_**A.** A lot._

_**Q**. What's with the dagger and why does it matter?_

_**A.** The dagger is the ONLY weapon the group as a whole has right now._

_**Q.** Why didn't the demons just spring out at the deer and kill them with their claws and fangs? Where is the super speed and strength?_

_**A.** Because they don't know how. The demons in this story are all city dwellers, all of them. The Earth is one continuous city. Also, the demons in this story aren't the same as from the series. They are stronger and faster then humans, but not magically so. They are bio-engineered creatures, so they are restrained by the laws of physics to a great extent. That also means ruptured organs are fatal._

_**Q.** What about Shelters?_

_**A.** I have something in mind, fear not._

_**Q.** Is the political issue being stressed in the story, environmental protection?_

_**A.** Yes it is. gives EnchantedNymph a cookie_

_**Foundations of Neo Genesis**_

Chapter 10

Inuyasha opened his eyes to find the sun already high in the sky, the morning mist long burned away. He pushed himself up with a groan; every muscle in his body was sore and protested the movement. Joints popped as he sat up and stretched.

Next to him, Shippou was taking his time uncurling and stretching. But it was the boy's loud yawn that brought the unnatural silence to his attention. Normally, the humans and demons were talking among themselves, but now no one spoke a word. Looking up, he saw many of the people staring at him and many others trying to look at anything but.

"What's going on?" Shippou whispered next to him.

Inuyasha frowned, "I don't know."

"It's about time," Sango stepped into their line of sight, her hands firmly placed on her hips. "If you think sleeping all day is going to garner you sympathy from me, you've both got another thing coming."

Inuyasha's ears lay back against his skull as he stood up. "What crawled up your ass this morning?" He was at least a head taller than her, but the girl seemed unimpressed.

"Don't feed me that bullshit! I want to know what possessed the four of you to think that stunt yesterday was a good idea."

"I don't have to tell you shit," Inuyasha replied as he turned his back and walked away. The dried blood and sweat clinging to his skin and clothes were making his flesh crawl and his nose protest. A bath was sounding very tempting at the moment. The cold stone underfoot also begged the return of his shoes.

"Yes, you do." Sango grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him around with surprising strength. "I am the military authority on this mission. Everyone answers to me."

"I don't." Inuyasha shrugged her off and kept walking in the direction of the river. "You coming, Shippou? I need someone to watch my back."

"Uh, sure," he answered as he brushed past Sango. "Where to?"

"Bath," Inuyasha grunted, holding up his still bloodstained hand.

Shippou looked down at his own hands and screwed up his face. "Good idea. Yuck!"

A moment later, Shippou let out a choked yelp when Sango grabbed the remains of his shirt collar and yanked him back. Inuyasha looked back with a raised eyebrow and a frown, only to be met with Sango's fierce chocolate eyes. "Neither of you are going anywhere until I'm done with you." Inuyasha scowled at her and crossed his arms while Shippou twisted and pulled his shirt free of her grasp. "That little exploit of yours left one man dead and another severely injured."

"It was an accident," Shippou huffed as he examined the newly stretched collar of his shirt.

"We could have left them there," Inuyasha retorted.

"Ahem," Miroku coughed lightly. "I must agree with Inuyasha. If they had intended harm, then returning Xun and the late Furmin would have been counterproductive." The young military woman glared at him for a moment, but Miroku remained impassive.

"Regardless, they broke rank and we lost two able bodies because of their foolish actions." She turned back so she could glare at the two canine demons at once. "You will be marked of your crime and then we'll hold trial to decide your punishment." Her eyes shifted to where Krishna and Aodh were stretched out on the floor. "All of you."

"What!" Aodh levered himself up from his prone position on the cave floor.

"You can't do that!" Krishna added, his green eyes wide with horror.

"I can, and I will."

Inuyasha snorted, unimpressed. "You and what army?" Sango narrowed her eyes at him. "You military types always work together. By yourself, you're helpless." He strode across the cave, past Shippou, until he was nose to nose with her. "You talk big, so let's see you put your money where your mouth is, little girl. All or nothing. If you can mark me, I'll take all four. If not, you cram your military bullshit."

He turned abruptly on his heel and walked away, leaving Shippou to follow or be left behind. One look at Sango, and the younger demon hurried to catch up. No one spoke as they disappeared into the trees, but Shippou noticed Krishna and Aodh seemed to be debating following as well.

Inuyasha did not speak as he stormed towards the river, and Shippou had to jog to keep pace. It was no secret that the military and the street dwellers did not get along. With a single world government, the military's sole purpose was peace keeping and the street dwellers were the main disturbers of said peace. It was not that most of them meant to be a menace to society; they just needed to survive by any means necessary. The military rarely agreed.

At the water's edge Inuyasha stopped and started to shed his clothes. Shippou looked casually in another direction, giving him his privacy, as he pulled off the remains of his shirt and tossed it aside as well. The rest of the clothes followed in short order, and they waded in.

At its deepest point, the water came up to Inuyasha's rib cage, so he ducked under to wet his hair. They did not have any soap, and even if someone did, he was not going back for it. Instead he concentrated on working the blood from his hair and nails, and enjoying the nice cool water as the heat of the day rose. He could hear Shippou in the water behind him and knew, even without looking, that they were standing back to back so they could watch in different directions.

For his part, Shippou tried to concentrate on keeping watch as he rinsed the grime from his body, but a question kept prodding the back of his mind. One he had to know the answer to.

"Hey, Inuya– " Whatever question he was going to ask went flying out of his mind as he half turned to look over his shoulder. With his hair pulled over his shoulder, Inuyasha's back was in plain view. While he had muscle tone the younger demon could envy, it was the marks that captivated him.

The fancy curves of Greek letters made a trail down the middle of his back. Each was slightly pink, compared to the surrounding skin, where the burns had scarred over. Shippou recognized most of them; Epsilon marked him as a street dweller, Tau showed he had been picked up for stealing, Delta denoted him for fighting, and a dozen others for various other crimes. But the one that held his attention was not in line with the others, this mark was placed directly at the base of his neck; Omega.

"What?" Inuyasha groused, still in a bad mood. Shippou turned back around quickly as he realized he had been staring.

"Um... I..." He stuttered as he grasped for his lost question.

"Spit it out already!"

"Did you mean it?" The question blurted from his mouth before he could stop it. Shippou swallowed hard. "I mean about taking all four marks. You don't really want to take one for Aodh, do you?"

"Keh," Inuyasha replied. "That girl is out of her mind if she thinks she can mark me." It was not really an answer, but Shippou decided not to pursue it. Silence stretched between them, and Inuyasha got out of the water to search he opposite bank for their shoes. Shippou went back and grabbed their clothes to rinse as best he could.

&&&

Kagome watched uncomfortably as Sango played with a small silver cylinder about as long as her finger. She pushed a small button on one end, then one along the side. A small beam of red light would come out and hit the piece of wood in Sango's other hand; causing it to smoke slightly. Each time, the red light showed a different symbol, but nothing that meant anything to Kagome. Sango must have found the one she was looking for, because she stopped when the light made a horseshoe shape.

"Sango?" Kagome swallowed the lump in her throat. "What are you going to do with that?"

"My job." she answered curtly, then her face softened a bit. "You probably shouldn't stay for this, it won't be pretty."

Kagome swallowed again as the lump turned into a lead brick. "What are you going to do?" Her voice cracked a little.

"I have to maintain order," Sango gently placed a hand on her shoulder and flashed a disarming smile. "Whatever it takes."

"But-"

"Don't worry, Kag. I'm going to take care of this. I promise."

"But I don't want you to take care of it!" Kagome pleaded.

"You what?" Sango asked, her eyes narrowing in confusion. "Kagome, don't tell me you agree with him! He went off on some foolish excursion, got one man killed and another seriously injured, and brought back nothing to show for it."

"So his method was flawed, at least he tried!" Kagome came back, her voice cracking noticeably.

"To what end?" Sango snapped back. "You know as well as I do that the rest of our group will be arriving at the end of the month with all the supplies we need. All he's done is lose us two valuable members." She turned away and began to walk towards the front of the cave.

"And what if they don't come?" Kagome grabbed her arm and forced her to turn back. "What if something goes wrong and they don't make it? We only have a few more weeks' worth of food. We could starve before they make it."

Sango yanked her arm away with a fierce jerk and a frown. "If they don't, then I will cross that bridge when we come to it. Any hunting we may have to do will be well planned and under my direction. Regardless, until the others arrive or I am no longer capable of leading this group, it is my job to enforce the laws in whatever form that may take. For without them, we are little better than the beasts around us."

"But-" Sango was walking away before she could protest further. Kagome sat down and sighed, drawing her legs up to her chest. She shivered slightly, but not from cold, and the lump in her stomach threatened to make a return trip. She had heard about marking, it was a common way to keep track of past crimes, and she had seen the scars it left. An old boyfriend had recounted nothing short of a horror story about the mark he received for his involvement in a bar fight, but this would be the first time she would ever see it up close.

"Lady Kagome?" She looked up at the sound of a male voice to see the priest Miroku kneeling down in front of her. "Are you all right? You look unwell."

"I..." She just shook her head and squeezed her legs tighter.

He placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her a calming smile. "Fear not. The Gods work in mysterious ways. All things shall work out for the best."

"I hope so..." Kagome answered softly.

As if on cue, Inuyasha emerged from the trees, head held high and scowl firmly set. Shippou trailed behind him carrying two right shoes – one of which he gave to an incredulous-looking Krishna. The knot in Kagome's stomach tightened. Inuyasha stopped at the very edge of the overhang, a few feet in front of a stern looking Sango.

"I do hope you are as tough as you pretend to be," Sango stated firmly. "Because I don't have any numbing agent."

"Keh. Just put your money where your mouth is, bitch." Inuyasha answered.

Sango glanced around quickly, her eyes falling on Charon and a large bull demon by the name of Aonghus. "You two, hold him." Inuyasha turned to look at them and flashed his fangs. The human shook his head and backed away, while Aonghus snorted and moved into the crowd. Ricky let out a small sound like a frightened rat, turned pale, and fainted dead away.

"Looks like you're on your own," Inuyasha gave her a patronizing smile and pulled his shirt off over his head and tossed it aside. He did not notice Shippou let out a breath when his hair covered most of the marks he already had. "I'll even help you out with the first step."

Sango huffed. "Fine! I don't need the help of a bunch of cowards." With the silver tube firmly in hand, Sango marched forward. Inuyasha looked unimpressed.

"Sango, please! Don't do this!" With barely two feet of space between the combatants, Kagome all but threw herself in the middle.

Inuyasha growled. "I don't need your protection, little girl! Get the fuck out of the way!"

"I'm not protecting you." Kagome said, looking over her shoulder. Inuyasha was surprised to see the tears collecting in the corners of her eyes. "I'm agreeing with you." His eyes widened.

"Kagome..." Sango growled.

"No, Sango. This is wrong." Kagome squared her shoulders and swallowed hard. "As a co-leader of this group, I give my approval for what Inuyasha did; so I'm as much at fault as he is. If you mark him, you have to mark me as well." Inuyasha sputtered and Sango gaped.

"Little girl, you have lost your fucking mind?" Inuyasha shoved her out of the way and grabbed at Sango. Caught off guard, she jumped back to give herself more room. In a flash her foot shot out, aimed at his chin. Inuyasha jerked his head back sharply to avoid the kick, then caught her leg as it came down. With a rough jerk, Sango found herself flat on her back with a foot firmly on her throat and her leg stretched painfully over her head.

With a frustrated growl, she swung her free leg and thumped against Inuyasha's calf. From her tucked position she neither had the reach nor the flexibility to cause him any damage. With a satisfied chuckle, Inuyasha reached down and grabbed her wrist. Sango clenched her fist around the cylinder in her hand, even as the stretched muscles began to ache. Inuyasha pressed his foot more firmly on her throat, causing her to gasp for air. He lifted an eyebrow suggestively. The silver object clattered to the floor and his foot relaxed its pressure.

Dropping Sango's wrist, he scooped up the lost item. "You military people are all the same." he repeated, sounding mildly amused. Sango sneered up at him.

"Let me go, damn it!" Sango seethed. He obliged her somewhat by removing his foot from her throat, but only so he could take a step and throw the cylinder across the cave. Sango let out a screech, both from the sudden and further stretching of her leg and the sight of her tiny instrument smashing to bits against the stone wall.

With a bored grunt, he let her leg drop; her boot hitting the stone with a dull thud. Sango groaned as the muscles protested the sudden movement. Inuyasha turned around to face Kagome, who was still half sprawled on the ground. She looked up at him and gulped.

"I don't know if you are very brave or very stupid, little girl. But I suggest you never do that again." He walked away, catching the shirt Shippou threw to him as he passed.

"This is not over!" Sango shouted. He looked over his shoulder to find her on her feet. Inuyasha's only response was a disinterested snort as he walked away. Sango growled, but seemed to think better of following and stormed off in the other direction.

"Ahem," Miroku cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the crowd. "Now that the excitement is over, let us attend to more important matters." He motioned off to the right. Farther down the cave Furmin's body lay, covered from view by some mats. Krishna and Aodh looked away.

"What about Xun?" the Jaguar asked, "Is he okay?"

"He'll be fine, as long as he gets plenty of rest," Kirara answered. She was seated next to the cheetah demon who was drifting in and out of sleep. "I gave him a sedative to help him."

"And his leg?" Shippou leaned forward a bit, trying to see around the nurse.

Kirara frowned. "I'm not sure yet. It seemed pretty badly broken, though without any sort of x-ray device I can't tell for sure. Plus, we don't really have any surgical supplies to set it properly with. It's best if he stays off of it until the rest of the supplies arrive."

"I think you three should tell us _exactly_ what happened," Sango snapped from her place against the wall. She pushed off and marched back into the group so she could glare at the three demons. "So far all we have is bits and pieces." All eyes turned on the three remaining demons. With Furmin dead, Xun indisposed, and Inuyasha on his own, they were left in the hot seat. Sango raised an impatient eyebrow. Aodh elbowed Shippou in the ribs and Krishna glanced at him from the corner of his eye. Shippou frowned, but got to his feet and cleared his throat.

"Let me see, it began when Inuyasha tapped me on the shoulder..." The young fox demon began to spin the tale, each sentence coming easier as he became more confident. Soon he was moving his hands and arms in wide motions as he described the action, his voice dropping dramatically when he told of the outcome. By the time he was done, most of the people were staring at him, leaning forward where they sat to catch every word. Shippou blushed and ducked behind Aodh, out of view, muttering incoherently.

Sango rolled her eyes. "I knew it was his fault."

"It does no good to continue to press blame," Miroku said placatingly. "And the gods frown on unproductiveness. As I said before, we have more important matters at hand."

Krishna pushed himself to his feet with a stiff groan. "I guess we should gather some more wood."

"There is no more," Emer answered, moving a few strands of red hair behind her ear.

"We've picked up everything we could find as far as the river." Aonghus clarified.

"And we lack sufficient amount for a proper pyre." Miroku finished. "And that is not advisable." This was followed by a long silence, each person lost in thought or looking to others for answers.

"Couldn't we..." Ricky began, then cut off with a squeak when everyone turned to look at him. For a moment he flushed and looked like he might faint again.

"Please, go on." Miroku encouraged with a warm smile.

"Well, couldn't we just – I mean – if it's okay, couldn't we... you know – like you did for Sean?" He stuttered and stumbled before finishing in a rush.

"Even if that would work," Branwen chimed in, tugging absently on a curl of hair, "it doesn't solve what to do with the body."

"We could float it down the river." Charon suggested.

"To have it eaten by something?" Aodh asked, aghast.

"Do you have any better suggestions?" Sango asked with a dark frown. Aodh scowled back.

"What if..." Shippou began, and then swallowed hard when Sango turned to look at him instead. "What if we bury him?"

"Bury him?" Krishna asked in bewilderment. "What do you mean? Like put him in the ground?"

"Yeah, sort of." Shippou answered. "When somebody died back home, none of us had the money for a proper cremation, so we put them in the remains of those small twentieth century buildings. Occasionally a priest would come by and bless the whole place and make it holy so the souls could ascend. It's the same concept, except we dig a hole in the ground."

"And how, pray tell, do we dig this hole?" Sango asked skeptically.

"With our hands?" Shippou shrugged weakly.

"I think I have the answer to that." Kagome announced as she dove into her bag. A moment later she emerged with a handful of concave, hand-sized, bronze objects. "These scales are from the fish Inuyasha caught a while back. When they dry, they get pretty hard."

"Great!" Sango said, giving Shippou, Aodh, and Krishna a too bright smile. "You three can do it. If you need help, ask Inuyasha. He's the one who got you into this."

"Assuming Miroku agrees to this," Aodh amended flatly. Sango blushed and looked over her shoulder at the priest.

Miroku gave her an amused smile. "It is, thus far, the most plausible suggestion. But I do not think it fair for only three to do all the work."

"They earned it." Sango snorted.

&&&

"You think you're really something, don't ya?" Inuyasha cracked an eye open at the sound of the snide voice. Kouga stood over him, his arms folded and a mirthless grin on his lips. Inuyasha snorted and closed his eyes again, hoping the wolf demon would go away and leave him to doze. No such luck. "Hey! I'm talking to you, halfling!" Kouga snapped.

"Like I give a damn," Inuyasha snarled back, opening his eyes just enough to watch the wolf demon. Kouga scowled.

"I hope next time, it's you that bites it. Half-breeds like you should have been killed before–" Kouga was cut short by a clawed hand suddenly at his throat.

"Before what?"

"...Excuse me?" Kagome squeaked slightly. Inuyasha looked at her with a scowl and Kouga took the moment of distraction to twist out of his hold. With a growl and a snort the wolf demon walked away, rubbing his abused throat. Inuyasha watched him go, snarling when he purposely bumped into Kagome. The girl rubbed her shoulder and looked after him, confused. "Did I... interrupt something?" she asked Inuyasha even though she was still looking after Kouga.

"Just him being an ass. What do you want?"

Kagome looked back at him and took a deep breath, setting her face into a firm frown. She squared her shoulders and clenched her fists once. Then, slowly, she let the breath out. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "I want to talk to you."

Inuyasha leaned back against the stone with an annoyed groan. "When did I get so popular anyway?"

"When you started being a jerk. What's your problem?"

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha groused and closed his eyes, hoping she would drop it and leave him in peace. The sound of footsteps rang in his ears, then she jabbed him roughly in the chest. His eyes snapped open and he growled.

"You don't frighten me," Kagome replied.

Inuyasha gave her a very hard look. "Then you are stupider or braver than you look."

"And you are a jackass. Now, what is your problem?" She jabbed him again for emphasis.

Inuyasha slapped her hand away. "Even if I had one, it wouldn't be any of your goddamn business."

"I'm making it my business," Kagome crossed her arms and glared at him. "So talk."

"About what?" Inuyasha snorted.

"Oh, I don't know," Kagome threw her hands up melodramatically. "How about why you've saved me twice, but when I try to help you in return – not even because you need it but because I truly, honestly, agree with you – you bite my head off. That seems like a good place to start." Inuyasha snorted and looked away. Kagome gave him a flat stare. "What, do you have a crush on me or something?"

"Wh-what?" Inuyasha's head snapped back around as he sputtered. "Hell no!"

"Then what?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you!"

Kagome grit her teeth and let out a soft human growl of frustration. "You know what? I don't care. I don't care if you continue to scare everyone, just because you're too full of yourself to say what you really think. I don't care if you growl or snarl or lay those ears of yours back. And I don't care if you ever save me again or not. Because in the end, you will be alone and friendless, and you will have no one to blame but yourself."

"I'm so scared," Inuyasha drawled, his expression bored. "But since we are playing twenty questions, I've got a few for you." He pushed away from the wall and drew himself up to his full height. Kagome frowned.

"Like what?"

"Like, what's really going on here? We are scraping by on a month's worth of food and Aodh said all weapons were confiscated. Are we just supposed to starve here?"

Kagome's frown twisted with confusion for a moment, then she snapped her fingers. "I'd forgotten you joined at the last minute and then walked out of your briefing," She gave him a superior smile.

"Just answer the question, bitch," he grumbled in annoyance.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "If you had stuck around long enough to listen to me, you would have known that the rest of the group will be joining us at the end of the month. They will be bringing the rest of the supplies. We only brought what we needed so we could travel light, since we have to carry everything we bring. As for the weapons, they were afraid someone might panic and people could die."

"So they dropped us on an alien planet with no way to defend ourselves?" Inuyasha asked skeptically.

"It's a government project," Kagome shrugged with a half grin on her lips. Inuyasha snorted in amusement. Silence stretched out between them. Finally Kagome sighed and relaxed her stance. "Look, I don't want to fight with you, it accomplishes nothing. Let's just bury the hatchet and be friends."

"I don't need friends," Inuyasha grunted.

"What about Shippou? You're friends with him," she pointed out.

"He's different."

"Fine," Kagome waved her hands, dismissing the topic. "But I need someone to help me. I need to collect samples and find a way to construct shelters." She gave him a smile that made him shift uncomfortably. "You're obviously braver than anyone else here. All I want is someone to watch my back."

Inuyasha frowned, there was something wrong with this, but he could not put his finger on it. "What do I get out of this?"

Kagome hesitated. "What do you want?"

A small smile curled his lips and Kagome swallowed. "Let's just say you owe me."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:**_ The plot bunnies abound for this story lately. I'm already a good bit into chapter twelve. Time for questions._

_**Q.** What is the mark on Inuyasha's neck?_

_**A.** I confirm or deny nothing, that would be getting a head of the story. Suffice to say it will come up again._

_**Q.** Will Ayume, Rin, or Naraku be in this story?_

_**A.** Maybe, possibly, and no._

_**Q.** Inuyasha admits to hunting on the streets, so why isn't he better at it?_

_**A.** Hunting rats, that are quiet small and easily grabbed with one hand is one thing, tackling an animal as large as you are, is a totally different kettle of fish._

_**Q.** Why hasn't Inuyasha used Tetsusaiga yet?_

_**A.** Tetsusaiga only made a token appearance. For the purposes of this story it won't show up again. Even if it did, it would remain rusty and useless since Inuyasha has no youki to transform it with._

_**Q.** What's Inuyasha going to ask Kagome for?_

_**A.** All in good time gentle readers, all in good time._

_**Q**. What's wrong with Sango? Why is she so set on the laws of Earth?_

_**A.** Sango was sent to maintain order, to her that means following the laws as she has always known them. In addition, it is worth noting that not everyone adapts to things at the same rate. Characters with backgrounds like Inuyasha or Shippou are more adaptable because they had to be to carve out a living on Earth. Sango on the other hand has always had things placed in front of her and told that it was cut and dry and unchangeable. _

_**Foundations of Neo Genesis**_

Chapter 11

Kagome carefully stepped over the sleeping bodies, not wanting to disturb anyone as she crept across the cave. The sun was low in the sky and the forest was still in the tight embrace of the morning mist, yet the sounds of life were making themselves known. The clank of a small loose stone caused Ricky stirred as she stepped over his head. Kagome froze. He murmured and rolled over, but did not wake. Sighing in relief, she moved on more carefully then before.

She could not for the life of her understand why Inuyasha seemed intent on being on the edge of the group. Well, okay, he had made a few enemies in a short amount of time. But she still did not like having to creep across the entire cave floor, littered with sleeping bodies. She finally reached the sleeping half demon and silently inched her way forward.

He was curled up on his side, head pillowed on his arm, ears drooping in relaxation. A smile touched her lips; he looked almost angelic. The usual scowl was absent, and his harsh growls had been replaced with soft snores. Cautiously, she reached out towards him, intent on gently waking him. Then his ear twitched involuntarily as a small bug landed on the end. Her eyes shifted at the sudden movement.

She jumped and let out a small squeak when a hand wrapped around her wrist. Gold eyes glowered up at her from half lidded eyes.

He blinked. "Oh, it's just you." Inuyasha released her wrist as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Don't you know it's stupid to try and sneak up on people? I could have taken your head off."

"I didn't mean to surprise you," Kagome apologized with a soft smile. Inuyasha glared back.

"I said 'try,' bitch."

"Oh," Kagome looked away with an annoyed frown. It was too early for his usual surly disposition. "Let's just get going; there's a lot to see." She pushed herself to her feet and Inuyasha followed

"Is there a reason we are up so early for this little project?" Inuyasha asked irritably as he stretched.

"Not so loud, you'll wake everyone up." Kagome hissed. "We are up early because things happen at all hours and I don't want to miss anything."

"Whatever," Inuyasha groused. They picked their way between the sleeping bodies, some of whom were already beginning to rouse from their talking. Already regretting the deal they had made, Inuyasha followed her to the tree line. Kagome pulled a small handheld comp off her belt. With a few quick strokes on the keys, the little screen came to life and a hologram leapt out.

"Let's see..." She looked up from the picture, "I think we should follow the cliffs for a bit. I want to see where the Tigris starts."

"Tigris?" Inuyasha asked, raising a eyebrow.

Kagome rolled her eyes and stepped into the trees, following the now familiar path to the river. "Yes, the Tigris. The river we've been using. I named it the Tigris and the other one is the Euphrates."

"Those are stupid names for rivers." Inuyasha scowled.

"I won't expect you to get it." Kagome sighed, annoyed. "Out of sick curiosity, what would you name them?" Inuyasha shrugged and grunted. The rest of the way was silent except for the unseen creatures in the trees around them. When they reached the water's edge, Kagome pivoted upstream. The hologram pivoted accordingly as well.

"What would you do without your fancy little gadgets?" Inuyasha asked, his cross expression destroyed by a wide yawn. "And what about breakfast?" Kagome reached into the small pack on her back and pulled out a piece of fruit. Inuyasha frowned at it, but took a bite anyway. "You didn't answer my question."

"It's a stupid question," Kagome replied. "If I didn't have my fancy gadgets I wouldn't be here. I'd be sleeping, back on Earth, in a warm bed."

Inuyasha lifted an eyebrow. "You're here by choice?"

Kagome looked over her shoulder at him, confused. "Of course I am. Aren't you?"

"Keh."

"That's not an answer." Kagome clicked off the comp and tucked it back onto her belt. "Why are you here anyway? All I know about you is that you're a street kid and something of a bully."

Inuyasha smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know."

"Fine." She sighed, "Let's not hold any sort of conversation. I'm sure neither of us speaking will make this day that much easier."

"Whatever." Inuyasha shrugged, tossing the core of his fruit off into the woods.

An hour passed without a word spoken by either party. The morning mist began to burn away as the sun rose into the sky. Around them the sounds of the forest subsided as creatures retreated from the daytime heat. The Tigris rushed along, leaving it's soft splashes and babbles in their ears.

Inuyasha found it strangely peaceful. It was unlike anything he could remember. Always the life around him had moved at a blinding pace: people always rushing here or there, everyone trying to keep up with everyone else. He had to keep up, because falling behind led to the unthinkable.

But here, life seemed to have slowed to a crawl. He had not realized it, but very little had happened over the last two weeks. There had been bursts of excitement, planned and otherwise, but on the whole time had passed quietly. Most days, the major events revolved around some new discovery or Miroku giving some sort of Mass.

Strangest of all, however, was the fact he found himself enjoying it. The quieter noises were easier on his ears and the consistent light of the sun was much better than the limited light of an Orb. The soft earthy scents that curled their way up his nose teased at something hidden deep inside him, something that had only hinted at its existence back home.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he literally tripped over Kagome, who had stopped to examine a plant that was only half her height. He cursed as he pushed himself out of the dirt. "What the fuck did you do that for?"

"Huh?" Kagome looked back at him in confusion. "Do what?" Inuyasha glared at her, but the effect was lost as she turned back to the plant. "Come look at this, it's amazing! These flowers are actually glowing!" Inuyasha blinked in confusion. He'd never heard of glowing flowers before, though he never paid much attention to them either. Curious in spite of himself, Inuyasha pushed himself up and moved to crouch down next to her.

The plant had broad, purple, jagged-edged leaves. Each leaf was thin and delicate, looking almost fragile to the touch. Five or six flowers hung from extra long stalks standing above the plant. They were bulbous in shape and about the size of a large fist. Pearlescent white, each petal curled inwards so the ends left only a tiny opening. He noticed that Kagome was indeed right: the flowers did seem to glow.

"Amazing," Kagome breathed again as she cupped one of the flowers in her hand, watching the strange light reflect off her skin. Inuyasha reached out a finger and carefully touched one of the petals. It was silky against his skin, and bent easily against the light brush. "We should take one with us as a sample." Kagome smiled, her eyes still focused on the flower. "I have to know why it glows. Cut it off for me?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, but complied. His claws easily snapped the stalks, freeing the flower and a bunch of leaves from the plant. Kagome smiled as she tucked them carefully into her bag. With a bright smile, she grabbed his wrist and began jogging upstream. Inuyasha followed, too bewildered by the sudden contact to protest. She looked like a kid in a candy store, her head swiveling side to side as she tried to take in everything at once.

Abruptly, Inuyasha dug in his heels, his still bare feet sliding across the vegetation. Kagome yelped at the sudden stop and toppled over backwards from the abrupt change of direction. Inuyasha easily caught her under her arms before she hit the ground. "You'd run straight into something with teeth without even knowing it, wouldn't you." Inuyasha huffed without any real roughness in his voice. Kagome blushed as he placed her back on her feet.

"Sorry, I get a bit excited sometimes."

"Keh." Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "And what happened to not speaking to each other?" Kagome shrugged and gave him a half smile. Inuyasha shook his head. "Just stop running. You'll probably slip and crack your head open, and I'll have to take the blame."

"Whatever," Kagome snorted, but resumed walking at a more sedate pace.

"Why were you in such a fucking hurry anyway?"

Kagome blushed. "Just got excited. Back home there wasn't ever anything new, just different applications and upgrades. Here... everything is so," she paused as if searching for just the right word. "pristine."

Inuyasha gave her an odd look. "You really get off on this stuff, don't you?"

"Are you always this crude?" Kagome retorted, but she sounded more tired than annoyed. "But, yes, I really do enjoy my work. What about you? What did you do back home?"

Inuyasha stared at her for several minutes, not saying a word. Kagome shifted, feeling as if he were seeing right through her. A blush crept across her face and she suddenly felt very exposed. "I survived," he answered finally.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I mean what I said." Inuyasha shrugged, turning away to watch the river run past them. "I lived on the streets; stole when I had to, fought when I had to. I survived, nothing else."

Kagome did not reply for a long time, just looked ahead. A ghost of a frown touched her mouth and she twisted a lock of hair idly. Finally she looked back at him, only to find he was still watching the river. She caught his wrist and his attention, pulling them both to a stop. He lifted an eyebrow and looked at her hand around his wrist. Kagome smiled. "Well from now on, we will all survive together. Okay?"

"Keh." Inuyasha gave her a dull look. "Don't get all mushy on me." He began to walk again, not bothering to make sure Kagome followed. "How much farther is it?"

Kagome pulled the mini-comp off her belt and turned it on. A tiny dot marked their place on the holo-map. She typed a few key sequences in and a small compass and map scale popped up. "About twenty minutes," Kagome answered. "So long as the unforeseeable fails to occur."

"What?"

"If nothing unexpected happens." Kagome clarified and Inuyasha rolled his eyes. The rest of the walk passed in a comfortable silence. As they moved, the canopy above became thicker as the trees grew closer together, their branches pushing and shoving each other for the best patches of sunlight. At the same time, the plants with the glowing flowers became more and more numerous. Inuyasha waited impatiently as Kagome stopped to take more notes and mutter things about "shade plants."

Next to them, the Tigris had slowed and widened, so that its rushing sound had fallen to an almost silent murmur. Here, near the slow-moving river, two types of smaller trees found sunlight by reaching their branches out over the water. The first was growing at the very edge of the bank. Thick, wide leaves stretched out in all directions, the lowest branches touching the ground. The other trees were growing several feet out in the water. Their yellow-green leaves were numerous and small, all loosely packed onto thin, dangling branches that trailed in the current. Small red berries randomly dotted each branch, giving it a splash of color.

Kagome pulled a few leaves off the onshore plant, then waded out to the other and grabbed one of its wispy branches. After several unsuccessful tugs she looked back at Inuyasha. Rolling his eyes he waded in after her. He took the branch from her hand and tugged. The tree shuddered from the force, but did not relinquish the limb. Annoyed, Inuyasha reached as high as he could and tore the thin wood with his claw. Kagome beamed as she cheerfully stowed away her new samples.

"I think we should find a place to stop for lunch," she said as she waded back towards the shore. Inuyasha's hand snapped out and grabbed her arm, effectively stopping her feet and her voice.

"Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Kagome frowned.

"Shh, listen." Inuyasha's ears swiveled, trying to find the source of the sound. He managed to pinpoint it in the direction they had been heading. A low, dull roar, snaked its way through the trees and around the bend in the river. Without a word he waded upstream towards it, Kagome following in his wake. He rounded the bend and froze. Kagome peeked around his shoulder and gasped.

Before them lay a wide pool of water that darkened as it butted up against the cliff face. The rough brown stone rose above them about two hundred feet. From its great height a stream of water flung itself over the edge to fall towards earth, crashing into the waiting arms of the water below. Fine mist rose, sparkling in bright rainbows before settling back into the pool. It left the air humid and thick, yet strangely comfortable. The two kinds of trees and the glowing flower plant grew here in abundance, as did a number of other plants. The trees echoed with the sounds of life. The newly familiar scent of water hung in the air and gave the soil underfoot a rich earthy aroma.

"Wow," Kagome breathed. Inuyasha said nothing. "Let's have lunch here." They made their way around the edge of the pool until they found a small patch of bank free of trees and plants. Kagome pulled off her pack and began fishing around in it. Inuyasha began looking around for firewood. Even with so many trees around, most of the fallen sticks were too wet to try to burn. In the end he only found a handful of sticks.

Kagome pulled a small pot and a tiny box out of her pack. She looked down at the pile, frowned, then sighed.

"I guess with all the humidity here, it's only expected." She placed the pot and box aside and fetched the flint from her pack. She frowned at the stones, that had been chipped away to almost nothing. "We need to find a new way to light fires soon," She commented idly. Inuyasha only grunted in responce.

With a few quick strikes she had a handful of dry leaves smoldering. Slowly she added the sticks, until a small fire was crackling between them. Dipping some water from the pool, she placed it over the fire to heat.

Then she picked up the box. Inuyasha leaned forward curiously. Kagome pulled the lid off to reveal half a dozen bright blue food capsules. Inuyasha's eyebrows shot up. The capsules they had been using up until now had all been green.

"You smuggled food," Inuyasha laughed. Kagome blushed to hear the impressed tone in his voice.

"Yeah, well, you know the government," she answered, concentrating on pulling one of the capsules out of its holder. "Go with the lowest bidder. And I knew I'd have to leave the group sometimes, so I wanted to have something with me..." She looked up to find him giving her a toothy grin. Kagome frowned. "This has to stay our secret. If you tell, Sango will confiscate them for group use and I won't be able to share with you anymore."

"My lips are sealed."

Kagome gave him a half smile and dropped the capsule into the steaming water. Instantly it broke apart, causing the water to flash boil and cloud in brown. Thick bubbles slowly churned the surface, issuing forth steam and leaving chunks of dark meat and smooth potatoes in their wake. Sliced vegetables bobbed to the surface as well. The boil slowed into a gentle simmer and Kagome pulled the pot off the dying fire. She poured the contents into two bowls and passed one to Inuyasha.

The half-demon was sure he had not smelled anything so wonderful in his life. His stomach roared at just the tiniest whiff. When she handed him his bowl it was all he could do not to inhale the scalding food. Blowing and swirling the contents to help them cool, he waited as patiently as he could before taking his first careful sip.

The broth was still too hot for his liking, but it did not burn his tongue. The stew was divine. Rich and heavy, it warmed him in ways only good food could. The liquid quickly chased the emptiness from his stomach. He followed it with the hunks of meat and vegetables. With his bowl empty he looked around for more. The pot only had another half a serving.

"Take it," Kagome smiled over her half finished bowl. "You seem to need it more than I do." Inuyasha tipped the rest into his bowl without a word of argument, and finished it off. Kagome snickered and finished hers as well. When his bowl was empty, Inuyasha flopped down on the cool vegetation, warm and full for the first time in two weeks. He was sure he could have fallen asleep on the spot. "Careful, this probably isn't a good place to nap," Kagome said lightly. Inuyasha sat up with a groan and gave her a half-hearted glare.

He watched as she calmly swirled water around in the bowls and pot, before pouring it over the smoldering embers. Shaking as much excess water out as she could, Kagome stowed them back into her bag and moved to sit next to him.

"I wonder what could live in that pond," Kagome mused.

"Curiosity killed the ca,." Inuyasha snorted.

"But satisfaction brought him back." She smiled at him playfully.

"Doubt it. Dead is dead."

Kagome turned to look at him, a soft frown on her lips. "What happened to you that makes you so angry all the time?" Inuyasha rounded to growl at her, but stopped in surprise at the emotions in her eyes. Uncomfortable, he leaned away, his ears laying back.

"Stop looking at me like that!"

"I'm sorry." Kagome looked back at the water, a small half-smile on her lips. "You probably don't want to talk about it with me. It's just..." She shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. You seem like you could be a nice person if you wanted to be."

"You don't even know me," Inuyasha huffed. "For all you know, I'm a murderer." He leaned closer to her, curling a hand so his claws looked ready to strike and bared his fangs. "For all you know, I killed Furmin and scared the others into submission. I could be planning to kill you next." He cracked his knuckles threateningly.

Kagome stared at him with wide eyes for a moment, her breath hitching in her throat. Then she laughed, a mirthful, happy sound that made Inuyasha lean away from her again. She waved a dismissive hand at him as she tried to regain control of her breathing. "I'm – I'm sorry. I shouldn't laugh. That – that was really convincing. You really had me going for a minute." She finally managed to stop laughing. "You're a great actor. Really! But just the thought of _you_ killing someone. It's just too funny."

"Why is that funny!" Inuyasha snapped.

"Well, you're you!" Kagome motioned at him as if it were obvious. He narrowed his eyes in annoyance. Kagome giggled again. "You could have killed Sango last night if you'd wanted to. And I know you had motive."

"Keh."

"And you carried Furmin's body back, even though it was a sin," she continued. "No, Inuyasha, no matter how you act, I think you are a good person deep down inside."

"Stop talking like you know me, woman!" he snapped, standing up abruptly and walking to the water's edge. Kagome smiled lightly as his back and pushed herself to her feet.

"Sorry, I just would have to see it to believe it." She lifted her feet one at a time to pull off her shoes and socks. "Anyway, I think our food has settled enough we can get in the water and see what's in there."

"What?" He looked over his shoulder at her.

"I want to see what lives in this pond." Kagome repeated as she hooked her fingers into the waistband of her pants and unfastened them.

Inuyasha blanched. "What are you doing!"

Kagome blinked in confusion at him. "I'm not going in the water fully clothed, silly. I'd be miserable the rest of the day." She tossed her pants on top of her shoes, then added her shirt to the pile. She was left standing in a black undershirt, bra, and underwear. Inuyasha's face made a fast transition from white to red. Kagome smiled as she trotted past him into the water, turning back when she reached ankle depth. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Inuyasha gaped at her, wide-eyed. "Wh-what is wrong with you, woman? Put your clothes back on!"

"Oh, for heaven's sake." Kagome sighed in exasperation. "I'm sure you've seen a woman in a swimsuit before. Just take off whatever you don't want to get wet, and come on."

"Keh." Inuyasha crossed his arms stubbornly.

"Come on," Kagome cajoled, trying a change of tactics. "It's the middle of the day and the water is nice and cool."

"No." he huffed, then grinned slightly, "And what if one of your big predators is living in there just waiting to eat you alive?"

Kagome gave him a winning grin. "That's why you're here, isn't it? To keep me safe."

"Keh." Inuyasha growled..

"We'll go back to camp as soon as I'm done. I promise." She made a crossing motion over her heart. Inuyasha frowned and looked away as he muttered something unintelligible under his breath. "What?" Kagome took a step closer, trying to catch his words.

"I said, I can't fucking swim! Are you happy now!" he snarled at her.

"Oh..." Kagome answered softly. "Well, that's not a big deal. The water's pretty clear, so we shouldn't need to go too deep. Maybe we can come back later and I can teach you."

Inuyasha stared at her for what felt like an eternity. She was still smiling at him in that disarming way that made him uncomfortable. She was one of those people he could not figure out. Of all the people in the group, she was only one not the least bit afraid of him and relentlessly friendly.

"Keh," he huffed again and looked at the girl with a frown. "I'll watch your back from here."

"All right." Kagome sighed and shook her head, "I won't have to go very far." She turned away from him and moved into deeper water to submerge herself. The water was crystal clear, and he could easily follow the cream and black form gliding under the water. Inuyasha watched in disinterest as Kagome moved around underwater, occasionally coming up for air, then moving on.

She returned to shore about fifteen minutes later, a bit short of breath and wringing her hair out. "Not much to report," she spoke more to herself than to him as she went to her clothes and picked up her comp. With a few quick key strokes an electric green holographic cube appeared. Her fingers danced across the keys again and the cube bent itself into a long pointed shape, taking on an overall gray color with black stripes.

Inuyasha tilted his head at the strange fish-creature she had conjured. "It looks like a knife." Kagome looked up at him and smiled.

"Knife fish it is then." She nodded and entered the name into her comp. Inuyasha blushed and looked back over the water. Kagome continued to type away, building the images of the other things she had seen.

A rustle of leaves and movement from the corner of his eye caught Inuyasha's attention. His muscles tensed as the large cat-like creature moved gracefully to the water's edge. It took no notice of him as it crouched and began to drink, just beyond where the pond flowed into the river.

"Get dressed!" Inuyasha hissed over his shoulder.

"What?" Kagome asked, not bothering to keep her voice down. Inuyasha tensed as the cat lifted its head and looked their way. A thin frown of annoyance spread across her face. "Let me finish drying off first at–" He cut her off with a hand over her mouth a fierce glare.

"Get your clothes on now! We are getting out of here."

Kagome searched his face, her annoyance quickly fading into mild panic. "What's going on?" She grabbed her shirt off the ground and pulled it on as she spoke.

"One of those cat things is here," Inuyasha answered, pulling his dagger from the waistband of his pants.

"A Bast?" Kagome whispered harshly. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and crept back so he could see around the tree. The bast was still standing there, its pointed ears erect and the tip of its tail twitching ever so slightly. Inuyasha noticed the fur around its face and chest was matted with a red liquid. He swallowed as the moment seemed to stretch on. Then, without any indication, the creature turned and melted back into the undergrowth, leaving only the rippling water in its wake.

"It's gone." Inuyasha reported over his shoulder. Kagome let out her breath in a hushed rush as she grabbed her pack off the ground and slung it over her shoulder.

"Good. Let's get out of here."

Inuyasha nodded in agreement. The tiny alcove in the trees had rapidly gone from safe haven to cramped dead end. Keeping his knife close at hand, Inuyasha led the way, skirting the edge where water and trees met. Kagome kept pace, her hand fisting the fabric of his shirt as if she feared he might bolt. Wading through the water, they slipped downstream to where the pond poured out into the river and made their way back to the bank.

Once on land, Inuyasha's stride increased to a jog, pulling Kagome along behind him as he went. Inevitably their feet collided and Kagome stumbled. Inuyasha growled and caught her wrist, keeping her moving before she could fully lose her balance.

"Pl-please," Kagome panted, "Please, stop. I can't – run anymore." She pulled back on his grip, freeing her hand. Inuyasha stopped and looked back. Kagome was bent double, her hands on her knees panting desperately for air. "I'm sorry – I'm probably – not in as – good of shape – as you. Just give me – a minute."

Inuyasha frowned, but waited, his ears swiveling as he tried to find the faintest hint of being followed. Around them, the usual noises littered the forest. The air gave nothing away, too saturated with the scent of the Tigris to hold anything else. It made him nervous, and he shifted as he waited on the girl. It quickly became apparent she was not kidding about being out of shape, because her breathing had only slowed a little.

"Get on," he ordered, crouching down in front of her. "I'll carry you." Kagome stared blankly at his back for a minute before climbing on. He hooked his arms under her legs and she found a grip on his shoulder. Standing, he took up a brisk walk, the sound of her heavy breathing in his ears.

"Sorry," Kagome muttered again. "And thank you." Inuyasha only grunted. The walk back to camp was as silent as they could make it, with Inuyasha on the alert for anything; though it became apparent nothing was following them. He also did not bother to stop and let her walk, content to carry her even after her breathing returned to normal.

Their return to camp, however, was anything but silent. Apparently, carrying her into camp was not his brightest idea.

There was a beat of perfect silence as they entered, as all eyes turned their way and widened. Then the flood gates burst. "You son of a bitch! What did you do to her?" Sango screamed as she practically materialized an inch from his face.

"Wh-what?" Inuyasha asked, taking a small step back to regain his personal space. "What the hell are you talking about, bitch?" His lips curled back instinctively.

"Sango, please," Kagome said placatingly as she scrambled off his back. "I'm not hurt. I just... slipped... and thought I'd twisted my ankle. Inuyasha offered to carry me back so I wouldn't make it worse." She smiled at Inuyasha's raised eyebrow. "But I guess I just needed to rest it, I feel fine now."

Sango crossed her arms and gave the other girl a dubious look. "Either way, you should probably have Kirara look at it." She turned and frowned at Inuyasha, giving a resigned sigh. "Please accept my apologies for jumping to conclusions."

"Whatever," Inuyasha grunted and walked away. He found Shippou laid out on a mat with his arm cast carelessly over his eyes. Aodh and Krishna were also laid out near by. All three demons were a mess and smelled strongly of sweat and earth. "What happened to you?" Inuyasha nudged the young fox demon with his foot.

Shippou rolled his arm away from his eyes long enough to see who was speaking, before letting it fall back into place. "Had to bury Furmin. Where were you?"

"Playing bodyguard to science-girl." he answered, plopping down next to him.

"Lucky you," Aodh groaned disinterestedly a few feet away.

"At least the ground was pretty soft," Shippou sighed.

"Both of you hush and wake me when dinner's ready," Krishna growled. Inuyasha leaned his head back against the rock wall as the small group settled in around him. He watched as Kagome had her faux injury checked by Kirara, with Sango looking over her shoulder, and getting a clean bill of health. Xun was sleeping again. Miroku was standing over a mound of fresh earth, praying. A human, Charon to the best of his memory, was playing around with a small bundle of sticks and some string. Most everyone else was immersed in their own activities and not of much interest.

Dinner was the usual thin soup, and though he found it no less disgusting or more filling than he had before, the stew was still lingering in his stomach. For the first time since their arrival, Inuyasha went to sleep full.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:**_ Another chapter finished. I'm so glad everyone is enjoying this story so much, it really is my baby. Questions._

_**Q:** Inuyasha's claws and fang, and their use._

_**A: **Ok, this isn't so much a question as a lack of clarification on my part. As I said, he's a genetically engineered creature, and thus completely unmagical. That means his claws and fangs don't have the same deadly power as they do in the show. This doesn't, by any means, mean that he lacks the ability to use them or even use them well. Trust me, he can. But to kill, say one of those deer from the earlier chapter requires knowledge he doesn't have yet – for example, the ability to anticipate what they will do and the chinks in the creature's evolutionary armor. It is folly and erroneous to assume that they have evolved the same way as Earth deer have. It is also very difficult to single handedly bring down an animal like a deer; they have speed, strength, and powerful hooves and antlers they are more then willing to use in their own defence._

_**Q:** The people seem very relaxed about their responsibilities, why?_

_**A:** That will come up in a bit._

_**Q:** Is it a two way trip so people can go back to Earth if they want to?_

_**A:** Nope._

_**Foundations of Neo Genesis**_

Chapter 12

Inuyasha groaned as the light pressed insistently against his eyelids. Somehow he was sure it was too early to be awake. Yet, the light persisted and brought with it the eerie feeling of being watched. Cracking his eyes open, he had to squint at the brightness directly in his eyes. Blinking, he brought it into focus.

Held delicately between two fingers, only an inch from his nose, was a fat, squirming, glowing grub. Its four tiny hook-like legs kicked frantically as it thrashed, trying to escape its captor. The red, dot sized pupils rolled wildly against their black background. Inuyasha's eyes widened as he cursed and jumped away.

Kagome giggled. "Isn't it great? I found it inside the Lantern flowers. They are what makes them glow."

"What is the matter with you, woman!" Inuyasha growled. "Couldn't you see I was sleeping?"

"But Shippou said you wouldn't mind." Kagome blinked innocently at him, though the corners of her mouth twitched upward ever so slightly. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and stood up. The sun was just beginning to burn away the morning mist. He stretched, scanning the area for the fox demon in question.

"Where is he?"

"Bathing. That's why he wanted me to wake you," Kagome answered, even as her attention became more focused on the bug. Inuyasha glared at her. "The worm was his idea, though, I swear." She waved her hands in a pacifying gesture, swinging her tiny, glowing captive around as she did. Inuyasha huffed and headed towards the river.

He arrived to find all was peaceful. Shippou, Aodh, Krishna, and a dozen others were all standing waist deep in water, their clothes laid haphazardly along the bank, as they washed and talked. Inuyasha grinned. Carefully lining up his target, he crouched behind a bush as he waited for just the right moment. It came when the fox demon turned towards Krishna so his back was to the bank.

Inuyasha sprang, sprinting the ten feet to the water's edge. He leapt. Shippou had just enough warning to turn around. His eyes widened for the fraction of a second before both demons vanished under the surface with a loud splash.

A moment later the fox came up sputtering, followed by a laughing dog demon. Shippou turned, bared his fangs, and gave a mock growl. Another splash and they were gone again. When they resurfaced, Inuyasha had Shippou in a choke hold. They continued to struggle for several minutes, churning up the water and gathering odd looks.

"Say it!" Inuyasha commanded between choking on the splashing water and laughing. "Say it, you little runt."

"Uncle! Uncle! I'm sorry about the glowworm!" Shippou conceded, half choking on his own laughter. Inuyasha released him abruptly, causing the fox to disappear underwater again. He emerged, wiping wet auburn hair away from his eyes and with a lopsided grin on his face.

"Well," Aodh breathed. "That was... interesting. Do you always bathe fully clothed?"

Inuyasha made a rude gesture. "It's just water. It'll dry." Aodh muttered something under his breath and looked away. Walking back to the bank, Inuyasha began wringing water from his clothes and hair as he headed back to camp. Behind him he could hear several others beginning to emerge from the water as well.

His bare feet padded over the path they had forged through the brush. He had been without shoes for short periods before, usually because he outgrew them or wore them away to nothing, but this was the first time he had enjoyed it. Before, the hard concrete had scraped the tender underside raw, causing blisters and cuts. Here, the soil was soft, the dead leaves crunched underfoot, and he had not yet seen a rock.

"Inuyasha?"

He looked up to see Kirara standing in the middle of the path, two canteens over her shoulder. He lifted an eyebrow in acknowledgment.

"Is everyone done bathing yet? I need to get some water." She held out the canteens as if in explanation.

Inuyasha shrugged. "They'll be done soon." He stepped around her and continued back to camp, but stopped abruptly when she caught the back of his shirt.

"Will you get it for me? Please, Inuyasha?" The young nurse looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"Keh." He shrugged her off. "You'll live another five minutes."

"It's not for me," Her voice was soft and he could hear her pushing dry leaves around with her toe. "The sedatives made Xun more dehydrated than I expected. I'm not used to my patients being off IV."

With a frown and a growl, he turned around, snatched the canteens from her, and headed back to the river. Kirara called a "thank you" after him, but he did not reply. As he suspected, everyone was getting dressed when he returned. Shippou raised a questioning eyebrow, but refrained from asking when Inuyasha rattled the empty canteens at him.

The dog demon moved upstream a little, avoiding the slightly muddied waters where everyone had been bathing, before kneeling down and unscrewing the first cap. As he dipped the bottle under the surface, a movement off to his right caught his eye.

Aodh stopped short a few feet away. Behind him the last of the group rounded a tree and disappeared from sight. The tiger demon shifted, running his finger through his wet two-tone hair, and cleared his throat.

"Can I, um," He glanced toward the water, his lips moving silently for a moment, then looked back. "About the other day. Did you... did you mean what you said?"

Inuyasha yanked the container out of the water and screwed on the top. "Yeah, I guess." he groused, snatching up the next canteen. "I don't know why I'd want to take a mark for a– "

"No, not that." Aodh stopped him, then worried his lower lip for a moment. "I mean, before that." Inuyasha gave him a blank stare. "The day before, when Furmin, may he rest in peace, you know."

Inuyasha frowned in annoyance as he closed the last canteen. "Just spit it out before you choke on it. I haven't got all day."

"You don't really believe the gods have forgotten about you, do you?" Aodh asked in a rush. Inuyasha stared at him, then slowly rose to his feet and slung the canteens over his shoulder. They clunked together as the water sloshed around inside.

"You really are as bad as that priest." Inuyasha pushed roughly past him, almost knocking him into the water. Aodh stumbled, but managed to stay standing, before hurrying to catch up. He fell into pace alongside the dog demon, who pointedly ignored him.

"Look," Aodh tried again. "I know we got off on the wrong foot. I didn't realize that you were... I thought you were just being disrespectful out of spite. Let's start over."

"Keh," Inuyasha snapped.

Aodh took a deep breath. "Caru teaches that forgiveness is–"

"Look, Kitten," Inuyasha's eyes flashed as he fixed the tiger with a hard look. "I am not going to be your fucking project. And I don't need your pity," He turned sharply on his heel and stormed off, leaving Aodh standing alone on the path.

"She also teaches patience." He sighed to himself, "Gods, what a mess I've made."

Inuyasha all but shoved the canteens into Kirara's arms as he passed. The girl shrank away slightly, dropping one of the canteens so that it banged against the stone floor and dented the side. Inuyasha did not seem to notice. She quickly gathered the runaway container and scurried back to Xun's side. The cheetah was sitting up, looking dazed and confused by his surroundings.

"I told him it was a bad idea," Shippou said when Inuyasha reached their favorite spot on the edge of the group. The fox demon was finger combing his long red hair as he spoke, but his eyes strayed past Inuyasha to where Aodh was walking out of the tree line. Inuyasha growled back something unintelligible. "Look on the bright side," the fox continued with a teasing smile. "You made a new friend."

"Keh! He can go– " Whatever Inuyasha was going to suggest was cut off by a shrill whistle that had every demon covering their sensitive ears. Many glared at the source as the trill died away. Sango frowned back, unapologetic.

Kagome cleared her throat and stepped up next to Sango. "Now that I have everyone's attention, there are a few points we need to go over." She looked down at the comp in her hand before continuing. "As you know, part of our mission is to find a way to build suitable living quarters. Now I have– "

"You want us to build houses, too!" Kouga growled as he jumped to his feet. "What do you think we are? Your slaves?"

"As part of your agreement," Sango cut in with a frown. "You are to help with the main mission of the group. That mission right now is shelter."

"We have shelter," Kouga snapped, gesturing at the stone around them. "Or haven't you noticed the giant rock overhead?"

Kagome smiled sweetly at him, the same disarming smile Inuyasha remembered her often using on him. "While this cave is wonderful for group lodging, it affords us little privacy. We also only have a vague idea of what the other seasons may be like. It would be foolish to wait until we are freezing before building places to keep warm." Kouga frowned, but seemed unable to argue the point.

"So," Kagome continued in the following silence. "my thought was to use the cave wall and erect tents of sorts. They won't be very strong, but–"

"You're kidding, right?" It was Gawain who spoke up this time. The hawk demon's voice was soft and even, but his unmoving yellow eyes gave her a piercing stare. "The only thing that has kept us safe from that cat and those monster birds are the many eyes watching the forest. If we hide ourselves away in tents, we will be easy prey for them." Many voice rose to agree with him.

Kagome took it in stride. "Then what do you suggest?"

"Something open," a human girl named Dara jumped in. "So we can see out all sides."

Inuyasha started when Shippou added his own voice. "Something open to all sides must be defended from all sides."

"Something in a tree then," Savannah yelled. The lioness had to cup her hands around her mouth to be heard over the rising din. After that the group fell into chaos, everyone either trumpeting their own idea or rallying behind the ideas of others. The voices echoed off the stone walls, growing louder until many of the demons had to cover their ears even as they continued to yell.

"SHUT UP!" a voice roared over everyone else, rebounding off the cave walls and causing everyone to cringe. In the silence that followed, Inuyasha's snarl hummed from his chest as he stood over the group. Several of those closest to him leaned away under his fierce glare.

"Ahem," Kagome cleared her throat nervously. "How about we spilt into groups and each try our own methods. Then, even if one idea fails, there are others to fall back on. Is that agreeable with everyone?" There was a murmur of agreement. Inuyasha snorted.

"What do you think, Inuyasha?" Shippou asked as they watched the people break into groups.

"I think we are about to be enlisted... again." He motioned to Kagome as she worked her way towards them.

Shippou lifted an eyebrow. "We're going to use her plan?"

"You know anything about building?"

"No, not really..." Shippou admitted.

"Me neither," Inuyasha admitted with a careless shrug. Kagome finally managed to work her way around to them, Sango in reluctant tow. Inuyasha glared at their official leader and Sango glowered right back. Shippou decided to stand a little farther way from the group as Kagome put on her best smile.

"All right, I know we aren't all on the best of terms, but if we work together, I bet we can work it out."

"Not fucking likely," Inuyasha growled, his eyes never leaving Sango.

"If this is who you plan to work with, Kagome, you can count me out," Sango countered. "There are other matters that need attending anyway."

"Sango..." Kagome started, but the other girl had already marched off into the crowd. Kagome sighed and Inuyasha smirked. "I guess that just leaves the three of us then."

"Four," a voice corrected. Their heads turned to see Aodh approaching. "The other groups don't need anymore help, so I'll join you."

"Great!" Kagome smiled.

"Fan-fucking-tastic," Inuyasha snarled. Shippou sighed and rolled his eyes.

If Kagome noticed the shift in tension, she showed no sign. Instead, she pulled her mini-comp from her belt and turned it on. A moment later a small diagram sprang up from the screen, rotating slowly. "All right, here's what we need."

&&&

Inuyasha could not believe his luck. Of all the people he could have worked with, it had to be Aodh. Shippou had claimed to know exactly where to find the smaller items they needed, and Kagome decided the best replacement for the cloth sides would be a few extra-large grass mats. That left him and the tiger to gather the larger items.

Aodh had remained quiet for the most part, neither questioning nor criticizing what Inuyasha chose to do. The only time he did speak was to question whether the half-demon felt a fallen limb was long or thick enough. Even when Inuyasha had told him to drag both of the limbs they found, Aodh had only smiled at him and quoted a verse about hard work from the Book of Kratos.

Inuyasha was ready to strangle him.

If he had thought the critical Aodh was irritating, this new friendly one was worse. He seemed dead set on "saving his soul."

"How about this one?" Aodh nudged a fallen limb with his toe. Like Inuyasha, he could not replace his lost shoes and was barefoot. Kagome had warned them that creatures may be living under the fallen timbers, so they had to be careful.

Inuyasha crouched down next to the limb and rapped on it with his knuckles. The wood was hard, not yet beginning to soften with decomposition. He stood up and paced the length with carefully measured steps. The limb was a little long, but nothing that could not be fixed. Satisfied, Inuyasha took hold of one end and heaved.

A harsh, rattling hiss rose over the sound of shifting leaves and Inuyasha dropped the limb instantly. A small scaly, creature, no more than a few inches long, scurried out from under the limb. It was brown with a single black stripe down the length of its back to the tip of its whip-ish tail. Thin and snake-like, it had two tiny legs near its head.

It looked up at the demons with beady black eyes and hissed again, flashing the grey-blue flesh of its mouth and a pair of minuscule fangs. As it did, it opened a frill of bright crimson edged in sapphire that circled its head. The creature did a few bobbing 'push-ups' with its front legs, before tucking them and the frill back against its body and slithering off into the dead leaves.

"What was that?" Aodh asked.

"How the hell should I know?" Inuyasha snapped and grabbed the limb again; this time nothing ran out from under it. The half demon grunted as he began to drag the piece of wood along behind him. It was heavier than it looked.

He glanced back at the other demon, noticing for the first time how much he was sweating. Perspiration was beaded heavily on his brow and upper lip, and tiny rivers rolled down from his temples. His shirt was soaked through and sticking to his chest and arms. The tiger's breath was coming in panting gasps as he pushed himself to his limits just to keep pace.

Leaves crunched when Inuyasha abruptly let his load fall back to the forest floor. Aodh stopped and looked up in surprise. "Let's take a break," Inuyasha answered the silent question. "Before you overheat and pass out." He pulled the canteen Sango had, grudgingly, issued him from his shoulder and passed it to Aodh. The other remaining pieces of lumber crushed the leaves underneath when Aodh released them and took the canteen. Inuyasha watched as the tiger drank the water greedily, a few drops escaping to drip down his chin. "Thirsty?" Inuyasha asked flatly.

"Um, heh, yeah," Aodh answered, blushing slightly as he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. Inuyasha took the canteen back, annoyed to find it more than half empty, and tilted the remains of the contents into his own mouth. He almost choked to find that it was already ardent, and not at all refreshing. Still he swallowed, the heated water hitting his stomach like a lump of molten metal.

When the canteen was empty, Inuyasha screwed the lid back on and slung it over his shoulder again before finding a shady spot. He collapsed onto the forest floor with his back against a tree trunk. He rotated his ears, picking up the sounds around him before closing his eyes.

"Why keep that?" Aodh asked as he sat on Inuyasha's right. "It's empty. What good is it?"

"It can be refilled, dumbass," Inuyasha answered dully without opening his eyes.

"Well, yeah," Aodh agreed, a little flustered. "But we have a ton of those things back at camp. What difference will one make?"

Inuyasha opened his eyes and half turned to look at the tiger demon. Aodh squirmed under the intense stare. "You're an idiot." The dog demon concluded.

Aodh sputtered in protest, "I am not!"

"Keh," Inuyasha huffed, but did not expand on his thought. Aodh gave a soft growl before he caught himself and swallowed it. Inuyasha smirked and closed his eyes again. "Have something else to say, Kitten?"

"In the book of Caru, it says-"

"Sorry I asked," Inuyasha cut him off. "I don't see why you buy into that crap."

"It's the truth." Aodh answered. Inuyasha cracked one eye and studied the other demon with a steady golden gaze.

"Prove it."

Aodh faltered for a moment, before his eyes softened and he shook his head. "I shouldn't have to."

"Whatever," The dog demon sighed, closing his eye again. Silence stretched between them as they rested. The sun dappled its way between gaps in the leaves, shifting back and forth as a gentle breeze swept through the forest. Inuyasha quietly took it in; the scents that floated on the air, the sounds of unseen creatures in the trees overhead, and the warmth of the sun as it caressed his skin.

"You know," Aodh said after a while. Inuyasha gave a soft growl and glared at him through narrowed eyes. "It's kind of peaceful here, not like home. It's like time just slows down. Back home everyone was always in a hurry. I like it. What about you?"

Inuyasha shrugged and took a deep breath. "We better get moving." He pushed himself to his feet and walked back to their discarded burdens. With a rough heave, he lifted the two branches Aodh had been pulling and turned so he was walking parallel with the cliffs – that they could be seen between the leaves of the trees. Aodh frowned, but picked up the last branch and began following.

Dragging the branches proved more difficult than Inuyasha had imagined. Aside from the weight, the sticks and twigs that branched off from the main limb kept getting caught – on trees, roots, and even each other. It seemed every few steps he had to stop and tug one or the other free of something.

It was not long before his arms and shoulders began to ache, and sweat began to roll down his face. His breath was soon coming in pants and his legs screamed from the exertion. His ear flicked back, listening to the sounds of Aodh following him – his steps lighter than before because of his decreased load. One of the branches snagged again, and Inuyasha threw his weight into it with new resolve.

An hour later they were still searching for another usable limb; the last one they had run across had softened with rot. It was well past noon and the two demons were hot, tired, hungry, and thirsty – but neither seemed willing to be the first to give up. Inuyasha snarled at the branches when they caught on each other for what felt like the millionth time.

"Inuyasha," Aodh ventured, his voice dry and horse.

"What!" Inuyasha snapped back, his ears flattening against his skull.

"There's one," the tiger demon answered, recoiling slightly, as he pointed to a branch off to their right. Inuyasha snorted, dropped his burden, and walked over to the limb. He kicked it, harder than was probably necessary – watching another small lizard creature scurry off into the underbrush without interest – and found the wood solid. He took several measured steps and found it was too long, but nothing that was unfixable.

Satisfied, he grabbed the end and pulled. The branch heaved, but did not come free. Digging his heels in, Inuyasha tugged again; but the branch clung to the half-dead bush it had landed on.

"Let me help," Aodh said, appearing at Inuyasha's shoulder. The dog demon frowned at him, but made no protest when he took hold of the branch. They pulled, and for a moment the branch stalled, then with a jolt and several snaps of dry wood, it tumbled loose. Both demons stumbled back a few steps, but managed to stay upright.

"How graceful," a snide voice quipped. Inuyasha and Aodh looked up to see Kouga and two other wolf demons standing over the branches they had left on the ground. The demon on his right had a tuft of grey hair shooting up from his forehead, while the other had a mohawk of white. "But what can be expected from a halfling?"

Inuyasha bared his fangs.

Aodh frowned, glancing between the three wolves and his companion. "Look, we don't want any trouble."

"Good," Kouga smiled, showing his own fangs, as he placed a foot on one of the limbs. "Then we'll just take our prize and go. Thank you ever so much for collecting them for us." Aodh started to protest, but Inuyasha cut him off.

"You son of a bitch!" The half-demon lunged, but Kouga was ready. He dodged Inuyasha's fist easily and brought his knee up into the half-demon's gut. Inuyasha let out a soft "oomph" as the air rushed from his lungs. Kouga chuckled as he pushed Inuyasha away.

"Is that the best you've got, half-" Kouga's comment was cut off by a bruising fist to the jaw. The wolf demon stumbled back, wiping blood from his lip and snarling. "You'll pay for that, you stupid little whelp!"

The three demons lunged. Dead leaves and twigs crunched as the four hit the ground in a heap. Fists flew, feet kicked, and drops of blood splattered across the ground. By the time Kouga's two cronies had dragged Inuyasha to his feet – his hands held firmly behind his back – one of them was bleeding from the mouth and had a black eye, while the other had blood dripping from his nose. Inuyasha had a long cut down his left cheek . Kouga's nose was twisted sharply to one side and bleeding profusely.

"Think your tough, do ya?" The wolf panted, trying to wipe the blood away from his nose with his arm. "We'll see how tough you are." Inuyasha's head snapped back when Kouga's fist met his face. A moment later a knee met his stomach and he tasted blood. A right hook to his jaw brought more blood, this time from his nose.

"Cowards!"

Inuyasha fell with a thud when the hold on his arms suddenly ceased. One of the wolf demons fell next to him, crandling his arm that sported several long, deep slashes. Inuyasha ignored him, and threw himself at Kouga. He caught the other canine in the stomach with his shoulder, tackling him to the ground.

The two demons rolled across the ground. Kouga kept a firm grip on Inuyasha's arms, while the other grasped at his throat. Suddenly, Inuyasha yanked his arm back, breaking Kouga's grip, then slammed his elbow into the wolf demon's face. Kouga reeled upward, giving Inuyasha the room to get a leg between them and kick the other off.

In a single spring, Inuyasha was on his feet again. Kouga crouched in the leaves where he had landed, his fangs bared behind his busted lip. One eye was now swollen shut, but the flow of blood from his nose had slowed a little.

"You damn halfling brat, you're not worthy of your blood." The wolf demon pushed himself to his feet, "Mark my words, you'll regret this. Ginta, Hakkaku, let's go," Kouga turned and walked away, and his two friends hurried to catch up – both sporting fresh cuts and bruises.

"Says the one running away," Inuyasha shouted after him, reaching up to wipe the blood from his face.

"You okay?" Aodh asked as he came to stand next to the half-demon.

"Keh," Inuyasha replied, "I'm tougher than that." He turned to look at his companion. The tiger's shirt was torn open across the front, and a thin shallow cut ran from his shoulder to his stomach, he was missing a small chunk out of his left ear, and had blood coming from his nose. "You?" Inuyasha grunted.

"I'll live," Aodh replied, "Let's get back. The sooner we tell Sango about this, the sooner–" Aodh didn't realize he'd been hit until he found himself on his back, a fresh wave of blood dripping from his nose.

Inuyasha glared down at him, "I don't need that bitch's help!" Aodh nodded dumbly as he brought his hand up to cover his nose. Inuyasha snorted and offered the tiger demon his hand. Blinking in surprise, Aodh took the offering and Inuyasha pulled him to his feet.

"Uh, thanks,"

"Keh," Inuyasha replied. "Let's just get back and clean up."

They gathered the discarded branches, thankful that none had been broken during the brawl, and turned back towards the camp. After a short stop by the river to wash the majority of the blood – that refused to dry in the humidity – from their wounds and clothes, the two demons returned to camp.

They were greeted by a bright smile from Kagome, which quickly turned to a gasp of shock. "What happened! Were you attacked? What was it?" She ran over to them and quickly looked them both over. "Sit down, I'll go get Kirara." The two demons watched as the scientist hurried back into the crowd in search of the nurse. Inuyasha shrugged and dragged the branches over to where Shippou, Emer, and another girl with knee-length blond hair were busy weaving more mats. Aodh followed.

"Shit," Shippou breathed, raising an eyebrow. "What happened to you two?"

"Nothing we couldn't handle," Inuyasha replied as he dropped the branches and sat down with his back to the wall. The cool stone and the shade the cave provided was soothing to his tired muscles, and he closed his eyes.

"Hey, don't go to sleep, I need to treat those wounds." A voice spoke softly near his ear. Inuyasha peeled an eye open to see Kagome kneeling down next to him, a small first aid kit in her hands. He frowned, but pushed up from the wall as she began digging around in the kit for the supplies she would need. Across from him, Aodh was sitting calmly as the girl with the blond hair cleaned the wound on his ear, a blush tinting his cheeks. Shippou had a half-hidden grin on his face. "Kirara had her hands full patching up Kouga and his friends," Kagome continued. "So she just sent the supplies with me. You should both feel very lucky, those three look much worse. You didn't see what attacked you, did you?"

"Nope, sorry," Inuyasha shrugged as she began applying a blue-colored cream to the cut on his cheek. He hissed as the injury stung anew, but refused to flinch.

"Damn," Kagome sighed. Shippou tied off the end of the mat he was working on and gave Inuyasha a flat look. Aodh grinned, but yelped when the girl rubbed some blue cream into a cut on his arm. "There, all done," Kagome finished, taping some guaze over his cheek. "Now if you two are feeling up to it, you can break the little branches off the big ones. If not–"

"We're fine," Inuyasha cut her off. Aodh half-glared at him, obviously enjoying the blond girl's attentions. Shippou snorted.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Whatever, tough guy. You three clean up those limbs; Katrine, Emer, and I will finish with these mats."

Inuyasha grunted unintelligibly as he pushed himself to his feet. Between the smaller groups, he caught sight of the three wolf demons, with Kirara still working to bandage them up. A small smile of pride touched his lips when Kouga looked up and caught his eye. Pointedly, he lifted one of the limbs and snapped a smaller branch off of it, tossing it aside. Kouga sneered, but Inuyasha just rolled his shoulders and looked away in disinterest.

"Why do I get the feeling," Shippou said quietly as he began snapping smaller branches off his limb. "that neither you nor Kouga were attacked by an animal." Inuyasha broke a large branch off his limb and gave the fox demon a smile. Shippou returned in kind. "So what, really happened?"

"Damn wolf put his nose where it didn't belong," Inuyasha shrugged.

"And then he broke it," Aodh finished, breaking a piece of wood with a particularly loud snap. Shippou raised an eyebrow, then stood on his toes and leaned over to get a better look.

"Damn. And the other two?"

"Mostly Kitten's doing," Inuyasha tossed a branch into the growing pile and set aside his limb. He picked up the only one left and began cleaning it as well. "What about you? Don't tell me you skipped out on me just to do women's work."

"Nope, I went tree climbing," Shippou thumbed over his shoulder to a long coil of vines. "That reminds me." He pulled the dagger from his waistband and handed it back, hilt first. Inuyasha took it without comment and tucked it away.

"Now what?" Aodh asked, adding the last of his broken branches to the small pile they had created.

Inuyasha shrugged, dropping the final limb on top of the other three. "Hell if I know. Ask her." He motioned to Kagome with a jerk of his head. Aodh nodded and moved over to where the girls were sitting.

"So, how did it go, having to work with Aodh and all?" Shippou asked. "I mean, you both came back in mostly one piece."

Inuyasha shrugged, looking towards the edge of the forest where a group was trying to lift a leafy branch into a tree. "What the fuck are they trying to do?"

"Well," Shippou motioned to the two groups working at the forest edge. "That started out as one group, but they couldn't agree on how to build a tree house, so they split into two groups. The ones on the right want to bend the branches to form the house, the ones on the left want to build a hut of sorts by placing the frame among the tree branches.

"And these guys over here," He pointed to several groups in various stages of building. The half-a-dozen huts varied in shape and size, from a small circle of branches and leaves, to a rather ambitious shelter almost twenty feet long, but still only an outline of sticks. Inuyasha could see Kouga barking orders to those working on the largest structure. "They couldn't agree on anything. They all argued about it. Loudly."

Inuyasha snorted. "Figures."

"Excuse me," Aodh interrupted, and both demons turned towards him. "Miss Kagome wants us to wedge these between the ground and the ceiling so they make a seven foot by seven foot square, with one side against the wall."

"Okay," Shippou answered as he reached down and picked up a limb. He looked at the wall, shrugged, and planted the base of the limb as close as he could to the sharp upward slope. He lifted the limb vertically, until the very tip came in contact with the stone ceiling. It was just a bit too long to stand up straight, and he had to force it into place. "There," he patted the now firmly wedged limb, causing it to vibrate, and nodded to himself. In short order the three demons had the other limbs wedged between the floor and ceiling, as well, so they formed a square the right size.

"Now," Kagome said, looking up as she uncoiled the vine. "How do I get up there to tie this on...?"

"Spread your legs." Inuyasha's voice was low in her ear. Her face turned a bright red and she turned sharply, her hand raised. Inuyasha stopped the incoming slap easily and gave her a dull look. "Get your mind out of the gutter and just do it, stupid girl!" He did not give her a chance to respond before spinning her around and lifting her onto his shoulder. Surprised and thrown off balance, Kagome pin-wheeled her arms in panic, then grabbed two fistfuls of Inuyasha's hair, including one ear. The half demon let out a loud yelp and jerked his ear from her grasp. "Bitch! Stop that!"

"Sorry," Kagome squeaked. "You just surprised me is all."

"Keh, just get on with it."

Nodding, Kagome quickly tied the end of the vine to the first pole, using the small outcrops of wood where smaller branches had been broken to keep it from sliding down. She did the same for the other four, cutting off the excess vine with Inuyasha's dagger. As Inuyasha set her on the ground, Katrine – balanced on Aodh's shoulders – came forward and draped the edge of a long mat over one of the vines. She flexed one short side around the length of vine, and used a loose piece of grass to stitch the end back to the rest of the mat. In this manner she hung each of the other mats so that they formed an enclosure.

"There, all done," Kagome said proudly as she smiled at the small group. "What do you think?"

"It's great," Katrine answered.

"Not bad, not bad," Aodh agreed.

"I do believe, science girl," Inuyasha grinned, showing his fangs. "That I will be calling in that favor. Now."

"Favor?" Emer asked, looking between them with a curious expression. Shippou snorted with laughter and Aodh raised a confused eyebrow.

Kagome's mouth fell open in protest. "B-b-but that one is supposed to be mine! I need a workspace."

"Too bad," Inuyasha snorted. "That'll teach you to give out open-ended requests. You're just lucky I didn't ask for other things. Or were you banking on that?"

"You are such an ass!" Kagome snapped, gnashing her teeth and growling in a way that made Inuyasha laugh.

"Is there a problem here?" Sango asked as she walked up. She scowled at Inuyasha even though her question was directed at Kagome.

Kagome took a deep breath and shook her head. "No, Sango, just a disagreement." The young woman continued to glare at the half-demon. Inuyasha returned it in kind.

"Fine," she said after a long minute had passed. "If you have anymore... disagreements, let me know."

"Sure, Sango," Kagome nodded. The lieutenant turned sharply and strode away to oversee the other projects. Inuyasha snorted, unimpressed, and turned towards the new dwelling. He pushed one of the mats aside and let it fall into place behind him.

"Jerk," Kagome huffed after him.


	13. Chapter 13

**Important A/N (All readers, read carefully):** _Well according to the newest Rules-o-Doom_, _I am no longer allowed to post review responses. To this, I have two things I'd like to say._

_First, this story is, as one of my editors, KatMorning, best put it, a multi-headed monster. There is just a lot going on because it focuses on one main character, two or three 'co-star' characters, and at least three minor characters. Not to mention dozens of 'walk-on' characters. Each and every one of these characters has a reason for being there, different personalities and world views. Not to mention the political and social issues that will come up. It would be nothing short of a nightmare to answer every review individually, especially since many questions are repeated._

_Second, I want to be completely honest with everyone. When I first thought up this story, it was not intended to be a fanfic. In truth it was an original piece. But I am a coward and, even as I began, the enormity of the story became very apparent. From there it has only gotten larger. At first conception, this story was to be only one book with about 20 chapters. As of right now, it's looking like three books, with the first having close to 30 or 40 chapters at least. Don't get me wrong, I still intend to go out for publication (after a LOT of revamping), the fanfic form is sort of a testing grounds if you will. It gives me a chance to write the story without feeling hugely under pressure of it being an original piece while still seeing the holes the overall storyline has. For example, I need to go back and bring in Miroku's character more, and give a bit more insight to Sango's behavior._ _I also need to show more of future Earth in order to give more perspective on the characters in general._

_So, this is what I'm going to do. I will continue to post my Q&A, for the benefit of you, my dear readers, and to preserve my own sanity. But should this story be reported and thus removed_ _for this action, I will _**NOT**_ put it back up. I have more or less outgrown fanfiction as my major writing media and I am looking towards a future career as a writer. I don't want or need to put up with often strange and contrived rules._

_All this said, I still encourage all reviews and questions, good, bad, and repeated, because they help me find my plot holes and refine the story. And if, for whatever reason, you feel I have not made myself clear about something or other, please email me personally using the 'Contact' or 'Email' feature on my profile. I generally check my email religiously, and I try to reply as soon as possible._

_Q: How strong is Inuyasha?_

_A: Stronger than a regular human, not as strong as he is in the series. This one I have been getting a lot, so I shall try to clarify. In the series, Inuyasha is a supernatural being, not constrained by things like physics and gravity. That's all well and good, but in a more realistic world it just is not possible. He is super-athletic, but he can't jump 40 feet straight up, he can't rip full grown trees up by the roots, and he can't use his blood as a weapon. He can give an Olympic sprinter a run for their money, carry an adult-sized person a great distance, and he can probably jump between 6 and 8 feet._

_Q: Why did the tree branches give him so much trouble?_

_A: Dragging those tree branches was not a matter of strength, but one of endurance. Even if something isn't very heavy it can take a lot of energy to move it over a long distance. Not to mention they kept getting caught in the undergrowth and having to be wrestled out._

_Q: Is Sango racist against demons?_

_A: This is one of those things I need to go back and clear up. From the beginning of the story I knew what I wanted Sango to be, but until very recently I did not know much about her past or how she came to be where she is. Part of the past that did develop actually has little to do with Inuyasha and Sango themselves and more to do with their social standings. I'm not going to tip my hand just yet on this one, because it may ruin future events._

_Q: Will Sango and Inuyasha start getting along?_

_A: Soon._

_Q: What about the boat mentioned in chapter 8?_

_A: All I'm going to say is "foreshadowing."_

_Q: Where does Kagome keep the cooking pot? Does it fold up?_

_A: See, this is one of those places I need to go back and fix. It's just one of those details that I left out._

_Q: When are Kagome and Inuyasha going to warm up to each other?_

_A: As I mentioned above, my intention for this story is to one day be completely original. Yes, Inuyasha and Kagome will eventually get together but it is going to be later rather than sooner._

_Q: What about Sango and Miroku?_

_A: No comment at this time._

_**Foundations of Neo Genesis**_

_Chapter 13_

The next few days were filled with activity as the groups worked on their different shelters, with varied degrees of success.

The tree houses were fraught with problems. With no nails to hold things together, they had trouble keeping the wood from tumbling to the ground. They eventually tied everything together with some vines and spare rope, but the structures were still shaky at best.

Huts, while less problematic, proved to be more time consuming. The supplies to build them were hard to come by, as no one was willing to wander too far in search of fallen limbs or trees. Kouga's group had taken to stealing from the others in order to complete their structure, causing numerous fights – many had even become physical. In the end Sango sorted out most of the disputes diplomatically, leaving several groups unhappy with her decisions.

But the most successful structure by far had been Kagome's design. Even though the shelters were small, they were very stable. Secondly, one shelter could provide a pre-made wall for the next to be built against. In only a few days, they had built four more in addition to the one Inuyasha had taken over.

With all the work they were putting in, however, the rations of soup had become far less filling. To make matters worse, the fruit they had been eating to supplement their diet was becoming harder to find. The trees near the camp had been picked clean as high as anyone could reach and often the branches higher up were not strong enough to support a person's weight. In frustration, several people tried shaking the trees, with only limited success.

"Try not to worry about it," Kagome reminded the exhausted group as they ate that night. "The second wave should be here tomorrow or the next day with fresh supplies – clothes, food, and, hopefully, some building supplies as well."

"And why didn't we get those in the first place?" Kouga snarled, but the glare and question was directed at Sango.

"Because our primary mission was to find a place for the whole group to stay," the lieutenant replied firmly. "Extra supplies would have only inhibited our task."

"Let us not dwell on that which cannot be changed," Miroku cut in with a tired sigh. Dark circles had formed under his eyes over the last few days. With the gathering stress of the group, more and more people had been seeking his advice. It had left him with little time to rest, and less time to sleep.

"Shut up, priest!" Kouga snapped.

Aodh leapt to his feet. "You can't talk to him like that!"

"Everyone, please," Kagome began, but was cut off as the wolf over shouted her.

"Enough!" Sango yelled. A few of the less involved members of the group backed down, but Kouga and Aodh ignored her. Growling in anger, Sango marched over and shoved herself between the demons. "You are accomplishing nothing! What is done is done, and nothing can change it." She glared at Kouga, "And don't you have work to do?"

"What are you gonna do? Make me?" the wolf challenged back.

"If I have to," Sango answered, keeping her gaze steady and her voice unwavering. Kouga gave a sharp bark of laughter, but walked away. Sango turned her anger on Inuyasha, who was talking to Shippou as the fox used his knife to strip the bark from a piece of wood. "You! This is your fault!"

The half-demon turned an annoyed gold eye her way. "What are you yelling about now, wench?"

Sango stormed towards him, her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles were turning white. "It's your fault no one respects my authority!" She jabbed a finger into his chest. Inuyasha gave a soft growl, his ears flicking back. "I suggest you remember your place, or–"

Inuyasha grabbed the hand that was jabbed at his chest, and bent it back as he stood up. The angle was enough to hurt, but not enough to break it. "Let's get something straight, 'lieutenant,' I'm not going to let you fucking push me around just because some jackass millions of miles away says you can. This isn't Earth, and you don't have the numbers to back up your 'authority.' So you can just go fuck yourself." He shoved her away.

Sango glared at him while massaging her wrist. Inuyasha glowered back, unflinching.

"Hey, Sango," Kagome asked kindly. She smiled at Inuyasha and Shippou in her most disarming manner. "Can you help me with something?" She placed her hand on the lieutenant's shoulder. Sango cast one more glare at the half-demon before following. Kagome led her across camp to where Kirara was helping Xun sit up. The cheetah demon had more color in his face than he had had in several days. His yellow- brown hair was tousled and dirty.

"How's the leg?" Sango asked as she copied Kagome in sitting down next to the nurse.

"Better," Xun answered with a nod. "But I could use a bath."

"I can arrange that." Sango offered him a smile, then turned to Kagome. "What was it you wanted my help with?"

"Let me see your wrist," Kagome ordered, but picked up Sango's injured wrist before she could offer it. Carefully the young scientist probed it, a small frown of concentration on her lips. After several minutes, she let go and fixed her friend with a soft look. "It doesn't look like he caused any permanent damage, but it may be a bit sore for a while."

"Humph." Sango scowled down at her wrist. "That jackass has been nothing but trouble since the beginning. I'm going to show him-"

"Sango, please," Kagome cut her off. The lieutenant looked up in surprise. "Please, I'm asking as your friend, don't try to do anything to Inuyasha."

Sango's eyes flashed. "Whose side are you on!"

"I'm not on anyone's side," Kagome answered patiently. "I just don't want to see anyone get hurt. This is the second time you've tried to force him into submission, and twice he could have done serious harm to you if he had wanted to."

"I don't believe this," Sango growled. "I always knew you were a pacifist, but to go this far. You know what, screw you. I don't need your help." With that, Sango abruptly stood up and stormed off. Kagome sighed.

"It's okay, Kagome," Kirara said, giving the other girl's arm a gentle pat. "I'm sure when she calms down she'll see you were just trying to help."

&&&

The morning quickly faded into afternoon, an afternoon filled with a thunder and lightning. The storm had come on fast and strong. The winds shook the trees violently, throwing leaves into the air and shaking them like a mongrel with a bone. Branches creaked under the stress, some trees bending almost eighty degrees without breaking.

The water came down in sheets, turning the soft ground – where the group's constant moving about had worn away the grassy plants – into thick mud. The sludge oozed its way into the cave, causing everyone to crowd against the back wall. Lightning flashed, throwing everything into sharp contrast for a moment, before the thunder roared and shook the earth.

Beyond the cave entrance, several of the shelters had crumpled before the driving winds, leaving piles of sticks, leaves, and grass to be scattered at random. The two tree houses faired far better – their flexible foundations absorbing the wind's impact. Inside the cave, the shelters Kagome had designed held up well. The grass curtain flapped in the strong wind, but with all the shelters connected side by side as they were, only the two huts on the ends had any real problems.

With Shippou to his right and Kagome to his left, Inuyasha found his small hut comfortable. The three grass curtains that formed the front of his shelter flapped noisily in the wind, letting in small bursts of cooler air, but keeping out most of the rain, keeping him warm and dry on the whole.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked as she stuck her head between the two grass curtains that hung between their shelters. Inuyasha made a mental note to attach those together somehow. "Do you have a minute?"

"Nope, I thought I'd go for a nice jog and have a cup of tea," he replied flatly.

Kagome rolled her eyes and invited herself in. "Here, I have something for you," she said, sitting down next to him."I wanted to show it to you a few days ago – I thought you could make more use of it than I could – but Sango wouldn't let me. So last night I copied it onto one of my mini-comps for you." She produced a small comp and pressed it into his hand. Inuyasha raised a skeptical eyebrow and turned it on.

A small hologram popped up, showing a slowly rotating object Inuyasha could not identify. The two wide sides and one of the thin ones were bound with a hard-looking material. The three remaining small sides were bare, showing thin sheets stacked neatly between the harder covering. "What is it?" he asked.

"The hologram is of a book," Kagome said patently. "They were made from trees and kept information before computers or comps."

"And I care because...?" Inuyasha drawled.

"The program," Kagome went on, unabashed, "is a collection of books written between the 19th and 23rd centuries. They detail survival in wilderness situations – traps, weapon making, and what not."

Inuyasha leveled her with a skeptical look. "Why give it to me?"

Kagome shrugged nonchalantly and looked up at the stone ceiling. "I was taught all the technical stuff in preparation for this trip, but practical stuff I've never been very good at." She paused, biting her lip in thought. "I know... I know your first attempt at hunting didn't go well and that's part of why Sango doesn't like you. But, I think if you had a few more resources you could do better."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at her, studying her so intensely she squirmed uncomfortably. The corners of his mouth turned down slightly and a growl rose in his throat. Suddenly he shoved the comp back at her with such force that Kagome gasped at the impact. "I bet you think you're really funny, don't you bitch!"

"What?" Kagome asked in confusion, leaning away from him as he cracked his knuckles. "I don't understand."

"Go play your upper crust jokes on someone else! Just because I didn't get your high class education doesn't make me fucking stupid."

Kagome was pressed against the cave wall by the time he stopped yelling. His breath was hot against her face and his eyes blazed down at her. "I-I-I don't know what you're talking about," she squeaked in a small voice.

"Bullshit," Inuyasha snapped. "Do I look like some high class pansy-ass prince to you?"

"What...?" Kagome shifted away from him carefully. "If you don't know how to work the comp, I can show you."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at her even more, leaning close as he studied her face. Kagome swallowed hard and looked away. His hand came up to her chin, gripping her jaw almost painfully, and forced her to look at him. Claw-like nails pricked her skin with every move she made. Inuyasha held her in place for what felt like a small eternity, before suddenly giving her a rough push away. Kagome gingerly rubbed her jaw and watched him carefully.

"I don't know," Inuyasha began, stopping Kagome as she tried to slip back into her own shelter, "if you are very naive or very stupid."

Kagome's brow furrowed. "I'll have you know I have a degree from the Harvard-Yale-Princeton University, the Lita Elder College of Science, with a major in biology and a minor in genetic research."

"Fancy schooling doesn't make you smart." Inuyasha glared at her. "Just proves you can remember what you're told." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to him. "So remember this, bitch. I was raised on the streets, I didn't get any of your upper crust education, and I don't need your fucking pity."

Kagome blinked back at the golden eyes that filled her vision as realization settled in. "You... can't read, can you?"

"No shit." Inuyasha pushed her away again. Kagome hit the ground with a soft thump and sat there. She looked at him, her head tilted slightly to one side and her hands clutching the comp a bit too tightly.

"I'm sorry, I- I didn't mean to imply that you were stupid or anything."

"Keh." He turned away to watch the curtains flap in the wind.

"Here." Kagome scooted closer to him and extended the comp to him again. Inuyasha frowned at her. "Just push this button and it will respond with verbal readouts." She stood up, brushed herself off, and smiled at him. "If you have any other questions, you know where to find me." With that, she slipped back between the curtains and disappeared.

&&&

The storm finally blew itself out late that night, leaving everything wet and the air heavy. The morning mist was thicker than usual as the group began to rouse for the day. Miroku made a breakfast of thin soup to go with their fruit, and everyone complained loudly about the meal.

As the last of the food was eaten, Kagome stood up and cleared her throat for attention. She was mostly ignored until Sango gave another of her sharp whistles, followed by Inuyasha threatening to break her jaw if she did that again.

Kagome rolled her eyes at the argument and did her best to talk over them. "As you may remember from your briefing back on Second Moon, we are the first wave of people sent to this planet. Our assignment is to seek out shelter, learn about the local flora and fauna, find a way to provide each person with his or her own space, and learn to provide at least some of our own food.

"While some of these criteria have not been met to their fullest, it does not negate the fact that we are on a schedule. Sometime in the next forty-eight hours, the other half of our group will be landing." Everyone had fallen quiet at those words and was now listening intently. "Since they will also be bringing the remainder of our supplies, enough to feed the entire group for up to a year, I will need some volunteers to go and greet them, as well as help carry back supplies."

There was a long silence as everyone looked around at everyone else.

"You mean," Ricky ventured carefully. "Go back... where we landed? On the plains? With the birds?" A frightened whisper ran through the camp and Kagome cringed.

"Yes, but if you remember, when we landed the noise scared off all the animals," she ventured.

"Well, I'm not taking that chance," Kouga snapped. "I saw those birds and I'll be damned if I go near them again!" Several other people nodded in agreement.

"You're all a bunch of cowards," Inuyasha grumbled. He turned away from Sango to glare out at everyone. "I'll go."

"I guess I'm in too," Shippou said with a sigh.

"And I." Aodh nodded and Inuyasha frowned.

"Well, if you're going," Sango crossed her arms and frowned at Inuyasha, "I'll have to go, too. We can't afford another one of your screw ups."

"Great!" Kagome chirped. "That's four. Who else?" Silence settled over the cave as everyone looked around at everyone else. No one dared to move. Kagome frowned. "Oh, come on, it's not a lot to ask."

"Bah," Inuyasha growled. "You're wasting your breath. These cowards aren't going to help you." He uncrossed his arms and moved into the crowd. "You, you, and you," He touched Aonghus, Krishna, and a human named Taisto. The three all turned their eyes on him.

"You're not serious..." Taisto asked slowly, his platinum blond hair falling into his too blue eyes.

"He's serious." Krishna said flatly. The panther demon pushed himself to his feet and leveled Inuyasha with a flat look. "I will follow, if you will lead." Inuyasha squared his shoulders and Sango made an indignant noise. Aonghus looked less convinced, but took a deep breath and nodded.

Taisto looked at the other two, then at Inuyasha, and back. "You're out of your mind. I'm not going out there!" He gestured wildly towards the forest. "Things will eat us out there!"

"Better to burn out than fade away," Inuyasha snapped.

"That is just what an igno would say," Sango huffed.

"Sango!" Kagome gasped.

"Oh, ow," Inuyasha said flatly, not even bothering to look over his shoulder. "That stung. However shall I get on with my life?" Shippou snorted and Sango rolled her eyes. "As for you." Inuyasha glared at Taisto. "You're going if I have to drag you by your genetically altered hair." He moved towards the younger man, who quickly changed his mind and scrambled to his feet. Inuyasha snorted, and redirected his course past Kagome and out of the cave.

"I'm not sure this will be enough people," Kagome said, even as she fell into step with him. Sango frowned darkly and muttered something colorful under her breath.

"Then we'll make two trips." Inuyasha shrugged. Kagome looked from him then back to Sango, and bit her lip. The other girl frowned and looked away. Shippou jogged a few steps to walk next to Inuyasha with Aodh close behind. Krishna set his jaw and fell into step next to Sango, while Aonghus and Taisto reluctantly brought up the rear.

&&&

The small group found a comfortable patch of forest floor on the edge of the plains. The thick trees provided them with ample shade from the heat of the day, and its yield – cherry-sized yellow fruits that were shockingly sweet – staved off hunger. The ground was soft and covered in thick moss.

Kagome collected samples of everything, until Inuyasha made her sit down before she wandered off and got lost. Sango, for the first time, agreed with him. Taisto kept shifting his gaze uncomfortably between the group and animals moving around on the plains beyond. Krishna did his best to ignore everyone, leaning his back against a tree with his eyes closed. Aonghus fiddled with pieces of grass to keep away boredom. Shippou climbed up one of the trees and kept a watch over the plains, lest anything unfriendly take an interest in them. Inuyasha sat with his back to a tree staring off into the forest, his ears pricked and keen to any sound coming from them. Aodh was carving patterns in the moss and dirt with his finger, a bored expression on his face.

The day passed without event. Lunch was largely made up of the fruit from the tree – Kagome had named it Candy Fruit after an idle comment Shippou made. It was so sweet they could only eat a few before becoming nauseated.

"Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored. Bored!" Taisto grumbled in a low voice.

"If you don't stop that I am going to rip out your tongue," Sango growled irritably. Inuyasha snorted.

"We are all bored," Kagome said patiently. "But there isn't anything for it. There is no way to tell exactly when they will arrive."

"No way to tell?" Aodh asked, looking up from the triangle he had drawn.

Inuyasha growled, turning away from the forest to give her an incredulous look. "How long are we going to have to stay out here?"

Kagome blushed and looked away from his intense golden stare. "Well, of course we can go back to camp at night, they shouldn't come at night, but, umm, a couple of days, at most, I would think, at least." She spoke very fast. Inuyasha frowned. Kagome bit her lip and fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. Sango gave her old friend an abrasive look that went unnoticed.

"Fuck." Inuyasha groaned as he turned back around. Taisto was still humming his "bored" mantra under his breath, but that was the only sound for several minutes.

The wind shifted and the demons' raised their heads, looking towards the forest. Inuyasha slowly climbed to his feet; Aodh, Krishna, and Aonghus followed suit. Overhead, Shippou shifted on his perch.

"What is it? What's going on?" Taisto asked, looking around nervously.

"Something's coming this way," Krishna replied in a low voice.

"What?" Kagome whispered, as she, Sango, and Taisto rose to their feet as well. Before anyone could answer, the bushes a few yards away rustled

"Up the tree! Go!" Inuyasha snapped. Aodh obeyed immediately, scrambling up the tree and perching on a branch above Shippou's. Kagome squeaked when Inuyasha grabbed her by the waist, lifting her up so Shippou could grab her wrists and pull her the rest of the way up. He quickly climbed up after her. Krishna scrambled up a different tree, with Aonghus close behind him. Together they pulled Taisto up as well.

"Hey!" Sango hissed. Shippou reached out a hand for her, but could not reach. Behind her, a dirt-brown snout poked through the bushes. Thick, fleshy pink whiskers twitched as it snorted and snuffed the air. Sango fumbled for her sidearm before she remembered she did not have one anymore. The snout was followed by a large square head, a muscular body, and two oversized front paws – each as large as a small dinner plate and tipped with black curved claws. The creature stood just under three feet high and just as long.

Black pinhead eyes squinted in Sango's direction. It took a great breath of air, its whiskers twitching again, and let out a booming roar – revealing some fierce-looking teeth.

For a moment nobody moved. Sango stared at the creature, her mouth slightly opened. The creature squinted back blindly and snuffled the air. Shippou stared wide-eyed, his hand still reaching out for Sango. Kagome's mouth opened and closed as she waffled between fear and fascination, her arms wrapped firmly around the branch the fox demon had helped her climb to.

The creature roared again, and charged. Its oversized front paws and heavy body made it slow and clumsy, but Sango had nowhere to go. She scrambled, trying to reach Shippou's outstretched hand, as Kagome let out a small scream.

"Dammit!" Inuyasha hissed through his teeth. Hooking his knees on the low branch he was perched on, he dropped over backwards so he was hanging upside down. Sango blinked at him for a split second before he grabbed her wrists and curled up. The young lieutenant was yanked off the ground with a startled scream and a heavy groan. As soon as she was in reach, Shippou, Kagome, and Aodh reached out to help pull her to another branch.

Below them, the creature stumbled to a stop. It snuffled, twitched its thick whiskers, and squinted around. Putting its nose to the ground, its whiskers bent down to feel along the moss and dead leaves. When it raised its head, a long red tongue slid from its mouth and carefully cleaned each of the eight stalks. It put its head down again, working its way towards the tree line.

"What the fuck is it doing now?" Inuyasha whispered, rubbing his stomach muscles and looking cross.

"I... I think it's blind, or at least very nearly blind," Kagome answered softly. "It can't find us. It can smell us, but it can't find us."

"What are the odds it can climb?" Shippou asked. To that Kagome could only shrug. The creature had given up its search in favor of the fruits that had fallen during their hasty retreat.

They watched in silence as the creature worked its way over to the tree where Krishna, Aonghus, and Taisto huddled in the branches. It took a great deal of time sniffing around the base of the tree, its strange whiskers probing the ground around its nose. Every so often it would lift its head and lick each fleshy probe with its tongue. Finally it chose a spot, directly under Taisto, and began to dig with its massive front paws.

The human gave a frightened yelp and the creature raised its head. The big nose snuffled and the thick whiskers twitched. "Shhhhh!" Kagome hissed. Taisto clamped a hand over his mouth and nodded, his eyes wide with fear. The creature lowered its head again and began to dig with those oversized front paws.

"What's it doing?" Inuyasha asked, his voice as low as possible and forced through clenched teeth.

"It's digging," Kagome snapped back. Inuyasha gave her an incredulous look and a fierce scowl. Sango bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"Will you all shut up!" Krishna demanded from the other tree. The creature was looking up again. It seemed confused by the sounds above it. They all fell silent again, and the creature turned back to its task. After several long, tense minutes, it stuffed its head into the hole, grunted and growled, and came up with something thick, limp, and dirty.

"What is that?" Shippou frowned in disgust.

"I think it's a tuber," Kagome answered.

"A what?" Aodh asked. The creature lay down and began gnawing on one end, holding the other in its big paws.

"It's a kind of root," Kagome snapped, obviously at the end of her patience.

"Shit, didn't the lot of you learn anything in school?" Sango asked drolly. "Oh, wait, that's right..." Aodh blushed deeply and stuttered, but Inuyasha turned a fierce glare on her. His lips curled back, showing elongated canines, and a deep growl rose in his chest. Even Shippou narrowed his green eyes and snarled.

"Sango!" Kagome gasped.

"Guys," Aonghus whispered sharply. "We have bigger problems right now!" He pointed towards the bushes. Slinking soundlessly through the undergrowth was the patchwork of black and orange of a bast. Everyone fell silent, and Inuyasha slid his knife out from the waist of his pants. The large cat took no notice of them as it settled into a crouch just beyond the bushes. The other creature was too busy chewing on its prize to realize the change in the situation.

From the trees they could see the cat gather its legs underneath it, the tip of its tail twitching every so often. Carefully it stepped forward, edging out of the cover just a fraction before settling back down. The other was still too interested in its meal – the root had split open to reveal a starchy inside – to notice.

The cat bunched up like a coiled spring, the small round ears on the other creature's head rotated around, and everything moved. The bast pounced. The other dropped its meal and dodged right, but its heavy body and large feet made it clumsy and predictable. The cat was on top of it in a second. A thick wail broke the air as long fangs pierced flesh. The creature kicked out, lashing at its attacker with heavy paws and sharp claws. The bast dodged neatly without losing its death grip on the creature's throat.

Slowly, the creature stopped moving and lay still. The bast kept its hold for a long time, seeming to make sure its prey was truly dead. Finally, it released its hold, lifted its head, and nosed the air. Walking around the carcass, it took its prey by the neck and began dragging it back into the forest. It left behind a patch of disrupted earth, bits of fur, a smeared pool of blood, and a discarded tuber.

From their vantage point, the group watched the cat drag the other creature deep into the undergrowth and disappear. Then it was quiet, as if the forest was holding its breath. Slowly the sounds came back as small arboreal creatures began to scurry about, chirping and chattering to each other.

"Is it safe to get down?" Taisto asked in a low voice.

"I'm beginning to get the feeling 'safe' is a relative term," Krishna replied.

"Just like home." Inuyasha shrugged and launched himself out of the tree. He landed surprisingly softly in a crouch. His nose twitched and his ear flicked. Slowly her drew himself up to his full height and scanned the area. "Yeah, I think it's gone." He turned and leapt agilely up into the tree again, grabbed Kagome around the waist, and jumped down. She blushed and thanked him as he set her on the ground. He grunted and shrugged. Shippou and Aodh jumped down as well, and Aonghus and Krishna helped Taisto to the ground.

"What about me?" Sango snapped.

"What about you?" Inuyasha replied with a smile full of false innocence. "You're a big strong military girl, I'm sure you can get down all on your own." His smile faded into a frown. "Besides, a fucking uneducated street crawler like me is far too stupid to figure it out for you."

Sango glared at him and ground her teeth together. With a huff, she carefully began to maneuver herself out of the tree. After precariously moving to the lowest branch, she sat down on it and studied her options. Aodh moved to help her, but Shippou grabbed his shoulder and gave a sharp shake of his head. After a minute or two she pushed herself off the branch and landed in a crouch with a dull thump.

"That was graceful," Inuyasha snorted.

"Fuck you!" Sango snapped back as she stood up.

&&&

The next few days passed with sluggish regularity. The small group sat in the shade of the candy fruit tree and waited. They had a few uneventful encounters with small creatures, but only Kagome took any real note of them.

"This is fucking nuts," Inuyasha snapped irritably. "Where the hell are they?" Kagome looked up from her comp where she was making an entry about another new plant she had found. Shippou looked down from his perch with interest.

"They'll be here." Sango sighed.

"And just how the fuck do you know that? You've been saying that all week and they still aren't here," Inuyasha shot back.

"I must say I agree with Inuyasha," Aodh added, lifting his head as he looked out over the plains. Sango frowned down at him from her place in the tree. She had chosen the same spot everyday, climbing up and down on her own. "Perhaps you have just miscounted the days."

"No," Kagome answered, cutting off Sango's reply. "I haven't miscounted. I'm sure."

"And how are you so sure?" Inuyasha pressed with a dark frown. Kagome squirmed and flushed under his gaze.

"She doesn't have to tell you anything," Sango snarled down at him. "Just shut your mouth and do as you're told."

Inuyasha sprang nimbly from the ground, caught a low branch, and swung up onto Sango's perch. His nose was only an inch from her own and his voice rolled out in a low growl. "I am not one of your fucking soldiers, bitch!" Sango glared back with an unimpressed expression.

"Please!" Kagome begged from below, "Don't fight. Inuyasha, the reason I know– "

"Kagome, shut up!" Sango yelled.

"–they will be here soon, is because our food supplies are almost out."

"Damn it, Kagome!" Sango snapped into the following silence, "What part of 'Civilians need not be informed,' did you not understand?"

Inuyasha turned his glare from Sango to Kagome. "How long?"

"That's none of–" Sango was cut of when his hand came up to cover her mouth. She yelled and glared, adding scratching and biting when that failed, but Inuyasha never looked away from Kagome.

"How long?" he repeated in a low dangerous voice.

Kagome swallowed hard. "If-if we eat fruit... for breakfast...then... today and tomorrow..."

"Fuck!" Inuyasha yelled, then turned back to Sango. "And just what the fuck were you planning to say when everyone started bitching about being hungry? Suck it up!" Sango crossed her arms and glared pointedly at him over the hand still clamped over her mouth. Frowning, he withdrew his hand.

"Do you honestly think the World Government would send thousands of people off to their deaths? The Neo Genesis project has been going on for years, and so far there have been no glitches." Her voice was flat and calm, but every muscle in her body was tense and her jaw was clenched. "But I guess I shouldn't expect a lower class street crawler to know the first thing about space travel." Inuyasha's eyes narrowed and a warning growl rose in his throat. Sango ignored him. "Let me educate you a bit. Try to keep up. You see, moving through space isn't as simple as walking across a field–" Sango startled when Inuyasha's fist slammed into the tree not an inch from her ear.

"I don't make a habit of hitting women," Inuyasha snarled, his voice so low only she could hear it. "But you are really pushing your luck, bitch." He dropped out of the tree, landing with surprising grace, before marching over to Kagome. "So what the fuck is your plan, science girl? I hope you don't expect us all to become vegetarians, 'cause there is no way in hell that's happening."

Kagome offered him a smile. "I'm sure the other team will be here tomorrow with the supplies."

"And if they're not?" Shippou asked from the tree. His body was relaxed, but his mouth was turned down in a hard frown.

"They'll be here," Sango snapped.

"You said yourself that space travel isn't so simple," Krishna cut in calmly as Inuyasha growled. "What if they ran into a star and died?"

"Then they would send another team," Sango answered crossly. "Mark my words, they will be here."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:**_ Long time no update. I'm sorry. This chapter has been giving me fits. I decided the break this it into two parts because it was getting really long. Second half is the harder part, so I can't promise a quick update either. Now to the Q&A._

**Q:**_ Is Aodh some kind of altar boy?_

**A:**_ Aodh is a very religious character, and follows the Gods very closely. Quoting scripture is his way of dealing with a rough situation._

**Q:**_ Are Inuyasha and Kagome going to get together?_

**A:**_ Without giving too much away, their relationship isn't going to be like the show per se. I just hope I can make it believable for what it is._

**Q:**_ What's with Sango?_

**A:**_ Sango is very much a product of her environment, one that will be far better shown in the original. In their world it is a high crime to disobey a direct order. She knows they are in a tight spot, but she's not willing to risk disobeying and incase they second wave does show up. She is also going to willingly follow Inuyasha, but this is further on in the story so I won't give too much away right now._

**Definitions**_ - (Because words change meanings over time and new words are invented)_

_Igno – short for ignoble or ignorant, an insulting term for a person of the lowest class._

_Chouse – basically a spear. The dictionary definition is "To defeat some one in an expectation through trickery or deceit," but the future definition "a piece of hollow pipe that has been heated and beaten into a point at one end and are used to throw at other people from a hidden place like a building or roof."_

_**Foundations of Neo Genesis**_

Chapter 14

Inuyasha accepted the bowl of soup and stared into it. Kagome gave him a small smile, but he did not notice. The soup seemed thinner than usual and he guessed Kagome was trying to stretch it. He swirled it once in the bowl, then gulped it down.

The liquid landed in his stomach like a lump of warm lead. It twisted itself into a tight knot and sat there. Around him, groups were talking about the imminent arrival of the second wave, as the second group had come to be called. Aodh, Shippou, Anghus, Taisto, and Krishna were all quiet, staring off into space. Kagome was smiling and putting on her 'nothing is wrong' face. Sango was alternately sharing polite conversation with others and casting glowers in his direction.

"Excuse me," Kirara interrupted his thoughts. He grunted in acknowledgment, but did not look at her. She smiled nervously and sat down next to him. "I was hoping you would give me a hand with Xun. His leg is better, but he needs a bath and I'm a little too small to help him around without hurting him." She traced a pattern in the dust on the floor. "And, well, he seems a bit shy about a girl helping him bathe, so..."

Inuyasha grunted again and rolled to his feet. Shippou looked up when he moved, then quickly hurried after him. Inuyasha found Xun sitting up, looking longingly at the empty bowl in his hand. Sango frowned as she watched Inuyasha.

"Man, if they don't start feeding us more, I'm going to starve." Xun sighed. Shippou and Inuyasha exchanged a look but said nothing. Inuyasha ducked down and took Xun's arm over his shoulder. The cheetah demon hobbled unsteadily on his one weak leg as Shippou took up his other arm. "Thanks for the help, by the way," he added as they balanced him. Inuyasha grunted in reply.

The injured leg swung back and forth as Xun hobbled along. He could put some weight on it, but it was not strong enough to hold him yet. Shippou cast Inuyasha a look behind the cheetah's back, and Inuyasha nodded in return. They had both seen legs like this before. It was healing partly twisted, so that his foot was turned inward at an awkward angle.

When they reached the river bank, they held Xun steady while he stripped out of his clothes, then followed suit and helped him into the water. Inuyasha dunked his head under the water and ran his hands through his hair. He came up with a gasp, sucking in the humid air. Wiping the water from his face, he stopped to listen. The forest was as calm and vibrant as ever. Xun sat in the water up to his shoulders, happily scrubbing at his face. Shippou had taken Inuyasha's surfacing as a chance to dunk himself.

Inuyasha did not stay in the water long. As soon as he had washed the majority of the grime from his skin, he climbed out and dried himself as best he could.

"I'm going upstream a bit," he stated over his shoulder to Shippou as he pulled on his pants on – frowning at a new tear in the knee – and grabbed his shirt.

"All right," Shippou answered with an absent-minded shrug. Inuyasha snorted and turned upstream. He did not have to go far before finding what he was looking for.

Resting on the bottom of the stream, their mouths agape, the creatures Kagome had dubbed Armor Fish were feeding. Inuyasha crouched down at the water's edge and watched them for a few moments. If they noticed him, they gave no sign. He flexed his fingers and remembered what the scientist had said about natural water's refractiveness. His hand shot out, but he missed and the fish scattered. Frowning, he adjusted his aim and tried again. This time he grabbed one. The fish was as long as his arm and he had to grab it with both hands to control the mindless thrashing.

Pinning the animal to the ground, he pulled his knife from his waistband and smashed the hilt against the fish's skull. With a final half-hearted flop, it lay still. Grinning, he turned back to the water.

&&&

Kagome looked up as the three demons returned from the river and lifted an eyebrow. She was not alone, the three made quite the sight. All three were shirtless for starters. Shippou had one of Xun's arms around his shoulder, helping the lame demon hobble along. Inuyasha walked ahead of them, two shirts hanging over his shoulder and the third from his other hand. All of the shirts were bulging with odd shapes.

As Shippou helped Xun back to his mat, Inuyasha found a place next to the dead ashes of the fire and dumped the contents of the shirts on the ground. Fish of different sizes fell into a haphazard pile. Sango, who looked ready to have another go at the half demon, froze mid-step, her mouth opening in soundless amazement. Inuyasha ignored her as he took one of the fish and began gutting it the way he had the others so many weeks ago.

Kagome carefully walked over and crouched down next to him. He glanced at her, but gave no other acknowledgment of her presence. "Did you catch all these?"

"Nope, they fell out of the sky," he replied flatly. Kagome blushed.

"I mean, what are you going to do with all of them?"

Inuyasha stopped and leveled her with a perturbed look. "I'm not even going to fucking dignify that."

"Is there something I can do to help?"

"Get a fire going, unless you like your fish cold and raw." Inuyasha turned back to his work.

There was not enough wood to get a blaze going, but she managed to work up a lot of hot embers. With a snap of her fingers and with a smile she dug into her samples, returning with a leaf that was several feet in diameter. Unrolling it over the coals, Kagome laid the cuts of fish out on top. The green leaf caused a bit of smoke as it burned, but not enough to cause any problems. The meat turned a pasty white as it cooked, but filled the camp with a wonderfully delicate smell.

As Kagome carefully removed the first fish from the fire, several people crowded forward to grab one. Inuyasha's lip curled back, showing elongated canines, and a growl rose in his throat. Most of the people quickly backed off. He snorted, then turned to the cooked fish and picked up several in a small stack. Before anyone could protest, he elbowed his way through the crowd to where Xun was sitting against the wall.

The cheetah smiled when Inuyasha offered him one of the fish. Shippou, who was sitting next to him resting after helping him back from the river, also accepted a fish. The last one went to Aodh, much to the tiger demon's surprise.

"Hey, stop shoving!" Kagome snapped at the crowd as they closed in on her and the fish. Sango forced her way through the crowd and stepped in between Kagome and the people pressing in.

"There is enough for everyone. Now line up by status, and food will be handed out appropriately."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha growled as he moved around the edge of the crowd.

Sango gave him a bland look. "It is my job to take care of those worth taking care of."

"You mean, feed the one who line your pockets and let the rest of use fight for the scraps to amuse you." Sango started to snap back, but Inuyasha cut her off. "Screw you!" He snatched a couple more cooked fish and grabbed Kagome by the arm. Kagome squeaked in surprise and stumbled after him while looking back at Sango. The other girl pursed her lips and went back to arranging the crowd in an orderly fashion.

"Eat," Inuyasha grunted, shoving one of the fish into her hands.

"Um... thanks," she replied softly, "for everything." Inuyasha snorted.

&&&

Inuyasha's stomach growled and he snarled back. For the last three days they had waited for the other half of the group to arrive with no results. The food pills had completely run out and the fruit was only a fleeting cure for empty stomachs.

The mat of woven grass he lay on was little protection from the cold, hard ground. Unlike the streets back home, the earth was lumpy and uneven. The stiffness it caused only made his mood worse.

Rolling to his feet, he shoved his way past the grass curtains and out into the main part of the cave. It was still early morning and very few people were awake yet. Shippou was leaning over the last of the embers, carefully stoking them back to life before he added some more wood.

On the grassy space between the edge of the overhang and the forest, Miroku knelt. His hands were pressed together so that his fingers and thumbs formed a triangle as he prayed. Aodh and several others knelt near him, following along with the morning ritual.

Kagome was seated in the center of a sprawling mess of plant, dirt, and fruit samples she had collected. Her comp was in her lap and a frown was on her face as she worked. The normal morning pile of fruit had dwindled to only a few pieces, many of which were over-ripened and attracting bugs.

"This is it?" Inuyasha groused.

Kagome glared up at him with a sour expression. "I'm hungry too. We all are. If you want to take a shot at something better, be my guest." She waved vaguely in the direction of the nearest fruit tree before turning back to her work. Inuyasha grumbled, but turned in the indicated direction.

Shippou stood and dusted his hands off as he passed. "Watch your back?"

"I think I can handle a tree all on my own, thanks," Inuyasha snapped back. Shippou shrugged, and returned to his self assigned task.

The tree in question was not far from the overhang. It skirted the edge of the forest so it could catch the morning sunlight and be protected in the cliff's shadow during the heat of the day. The tree itself had a thick trunk with willowy branches. Pale, peach-like fruits hung from the tip of each branch – or would have, but any piece within reach had already been plucked. A few fruits lay scattered on the ground, but they were already half-eaten by passing animals and starting to rot.

Inuyasha walked around the tree several times, in hopes of finding a piece that had gone overlooked, but had no luck. Finally, he pushed past the branches to the trunk. The nearest branch was almost eye level with him and only as big around as his fist. Frowning, he took hold of it and began to climb. The smooth bark of the tree offered no help. The branch snapped under his weight and he landed with a thud on the firm ground. Cursing to himself, he stood up and walked around the trunk. No other branches looked anymore promising.

Frustrated and hungry, he turned back to camp, but a sound caused him to perk his ears. He half turned to see a football sized creature move out of the forest. It was covered in dirt-brown fur, had a puff of a tail, and round ears as large as its head. It moved to a fallen piece of fruit with a bouncy gait, before peering around for any sign of danger. Its ears swiveled and its brown nose twitched up and down. Satisfied, it turned to its meal and began to chew and slurp at the fruit.

Keeping behind the curtain of branches, Inuyasha crept closer. The creature's ears pivoted towards him and he froze. After a moment, it returned to its meal warily and Inuyasha slunk closer again.

In a flash, he lunged. The creature let out an awful, almost human, scream as it flailed in his grip. Inuyasha grinned at the his success just as the creature proved its flexibility – twisting around and scratching razor sharp claws across his arm. Startled by the maneuver and the pain, Inuyasha dropped the creature to the ground – where it promptly dashed off into the undergrowth – and grabbed his bleeding arm.

"I heard a scream," Kagome said as she ran up. She looked at his bleeding arm and her breath caught "What happened?"

"I didn't scream!" Inuyasha snapped back.

Kagome pursed her lips, then sighed. "Fine. I really don't care enough at this moment. Let's just wrap your arm before it gets infected."

"Keh," Inuyasha huffed and stormed passed her towards camp. Kagome shook her head and followed. Shippou raised an eyebrow at the sight of the blood dripping from Inuyasha's fingers, but said nothing. Inuyasha flopped down near the smoldering fire and Kagome went to her bag. In a few moments she returned with several long pieces of cloth, a rag, a metal-alloy cup, and a canteen. She poured some water into the cup and set it over the coals to heat.

"While we wait, would you mind describing the creature you saw for my records?" She asked dubiously as she pulled her mini-comp out of her pocket and turned it on. With a shrug, Inuyasha obliged her. By the time she had a small holographic image of the creature floating about the screen, the water was steaming.

She dipped the edge of the rag into the hot water, and carefully began to clean the cuts. It quickly became obvious that, while numerous, they were not very deep. Still, she cleaned each with care to be sure no dirt was accidentally overlooked. When she was finished, she carefully wrapped the long strips of cloth around the cuts.

As she worked, Inuyasha studied her. Her skin looked paler than normal and her eyes had turned a bit glassy. Her mouth was pressed into a thin line that was either concentration or frustration, perhaps a bit of both.

As Kagome tucked the end of the bandage into place, his hand came up and caught her chin. She startled and looked up into his eyes in surprise. "You need to eat," he grunted.

Her lids lowered into an incredulous look. "Really? The growling of my stomach hadn't alerted me to that fact." She turned away, pulling her chin from his hand before she met his eyes again. "No one has had a good meal in two days. Where do you propose I get this food you think I need?"

"Bah." He turned towards the fire. Kagome sighed and shook her head, then retrieved her things and walked away. Inuyasha watched her from the corner of his eye, a small frown on his lips.

Inuyasha stared into the smoldering flames as the camp woke around him. Many people trekked to the river to wash and get a drink, others took up work on some of the still-unfinished housing structures, and still others made the same trip to the fruit tree he had and returned just as empty handed. As the mist began to burn away with the heat of yet another sweltering day, the now standard steady stream of complaints began to hang in the air.

Inuyasha's eyebrow twitched. His ears flattened against his skull and a snarl curled his lips. In one smooth motion he rolled to his feet and turned to glare at the group at large. Kagome was jabbing angrily at her comp, her lips pressed into a tight line, as Sango stood between her and a human who was screaming at the top of his lungs about responsibility. Sango was trying to keep her voice flat and calm, but was obviously losing the battle with her patience.

With a final snarl, Inuyasha stormed across the camp, reared back, and slammed his fist into the boy's jaw. Sango stopped talking mid-sentence, her mouth hanging open. The boy went sprawling across the ground with a surprised yelp, most of the camp turning to stare.

"Shut the hell up!" Inuyasha roared. "If you're so gods-damned hungry, do something besides complain to the bitch who can't do a fucking thing about it."

"Now you listen–" Sango snapped, but Inuyasha cut her off.

"Listen to what, bitch? That the other team is coming? You've been saying the same fucking thing for almost a week, and they still aren't here. But you still believe they are coming, don't you? Because those are your fucking orders. You couldn't think for yourself if your life depended on it. So you're just going to sit here and fucking starve? Well, you're not taking me down with you. I'm going to go find something to eat, if I have to kill it with my own hands."

Sango pursed her lips and looked down her nose at him, despite being the shorter of the two. "I expect nothing less from an uncivilized, barbaric, urchin of an igno like you."

Inuyasha snorted. "Beats having my nose so far up someone else's ass my head disappears if they stop short. You're just the military's loose baggage." Sango gaped at him in horror as color rose to her cheeks. Kagome coughed and sputtered, then tried to focus completely on her comp. Several people laughed or gasped. Inuyasha grinned. "I'm going."

He turned and strode towards the woods, not bothering to see if anyone was going to follow him. The steady crunch of leaves under his feet was quickly joined by others. When he reached the river, he turned to look at the small group. He was not surprised to see Shippou, but a little more so to see Aodh.

Several people stood behind Aodh. Muriel, with her dyed-blue hair, stood out the most. With her was Branwen, who seemed to be looking everywhere but at him. Aonghus, stood in the back, still looking indecisive. Krishna stood with his arms crossed and a blank expression on his face. Several humans and demons Inuyasha did not know stood around in different states of uncertainty. Inuyasha swept over them with a critical eye, judging each by his own standards.

"So... you have a plan, right?"

Inuyasha's eyes snapped to the face of a stout human girl. She had a round face and platinum-blonde bobbed hair that fell in front of pale blue eyes.

"Of course I do!" Inuyasha snapped. "And if you even fucking question that, you've got shit for brains for following me out here." The group eyed him silently. "Good. Now everyone find a weapon."

"Like what?" a female demon asked. She had black hair and large brown eyes that gave off an air of only marginal intelligence.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes in frustration. "Anything: a few rocks, a large stick. Whatever." The group broke up as they began searching the ground for anything useable. Inuyasha came up with a thick short stick, Aodh found a thin stick that had broken off in a sort of point, and Shippou found a chunk of stone. The other members came up with sticks and stones of various sizes and shapes. Inuyasha met them all with a sharp look. "The plan is simple. We surround one of those stupid things on the open ground, and bash its head in."

"Your standard swoop and smash," Shippou replied. "Got it."

&&&

The small group gathered together at the edge of the forest. The flat plain of tall grass stretched out before them. Animals grazed in loosely organized groups, occasionally raising their heads to peer around. Shippou scurried up a tree to scan as far as he could see, before reporting that he saw no giant birds.

"I think we should all agree on which of those things we are going after," Branwen said. Several people nodded in agreement.

"That one looks healthy." Inuyasha pointed to one of the brown striped horselike creatures.

"Healthy is good," Shippou agreed. "We don't want anything bad in our food." The group gave an affirmative mutter.

"We should take caution, though," Krishna added. "Those birds are fast, and a lot of noise will probably attract their attention."

"May the gods guide our hands and guard our steps," Aodh added, making a quick triangle on his chest.

"Shut up, Thumper," Inuyasha snorted. Aodh frowned, but made no reply.

Carefully looking around, the group crept forward into the tall grass. Several of the animals lifted their heads curiously to watch the party pass. The grass rustled as they waded through it, the thin edges making their skin itch.

The striped horse paused in its chewing as the group formed a loose circle around it. En mass they moved to close the circle. It was an awkward maneuver at best. Each person moved at different speeds, pinching out those who moved too slowly. The quicker members soon formed an inner circle.

Inuyasha smiled to himself. With two lines the prey was even more trapped. Now the end was simple, no different than any other day of his life. He shifted his hold on the club so it rested comfortably in his hand. It was not perfect, with several rough edges and sharp places where twigs had once been, but it would have to do.

He edged his way closer with the inner circle. The creature was watching them intently now. It spun in place, ears swiveling and making small noises in the back of its throat. Inuyasha grinned in spite of himself, enjoying the rush he had begun to miss from life back on Earth.

The circles closed in, giving the animal only a few feet of space. It danced around wildly, and suddenly reared onto its hind legs. Forefeet, with five finger-like extensions tipped in a small hard hoof, struck out violently. The strikes missed by a long shot, but did make several people back away. Suddenly, the animal dropped to all fours and charged. There was no time to move.

The world spun before Inuyasha's eyes in a dizzying blur of blue and green. Stars exploded behind his eyes as a rush of pain split through his head. Rolling onto his back, Inuyasha lay still, trying to catch his wind. His head throbbed and he squeezed his eyes shut.

"Inuyasha?" Shippou's voice sent another wave of pain through his skull from the sudden headache. "Are you dead?"

"No, I'm not dead!" Inuyasha barked as he pushed himself to a sitting position and glared at the younger demon.

"I don't think you should get up yet," Aodh jumped in. "You're bleeding pretty bad."

"What?" Inuyasha snapped as he brought his hand up to his throbbing temple. He felt something warm and sticky squish between his fingers, then a slow trickle ran done the side of his face. Pulling his hand away, he saw it covered in blood. "Shit!"

"You should go see the nurse girl," Aonghus chimed in. "Or at least lie back down." He put a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder and gently tried to push him back to the ground.

Inuyasha snarled and flashed his fangs, "You wanna lose that arm?' The bull demon quickly backed away and Inuyasha pushed himself to his feet. The world swam and his head throbbed, but he refused to give in. He could feel more blood rolling down the side of his face and dripping slowly onto his shirt, but he ignored it. "What's everybody staring at? Let's go! I'll be damned if I return empty handed!"

&&&

By the time the sun reached its peak, the small party had retreated to the coolness of the overhang. They returned with nothing to show for their efforts but scrapes and bruises. Everyone was tired and hot and each quickly secured a place on the cool stone to stretch out. The day had turned out to be as humid as those before it, and many made short trips to the river to drink or swim in the water.

Inuyasha flopped down on his grass mat inside his tiny shelter. His head had stopped bleeding long ago, but the humidity kept it from drying, so it formed a sticky mess with his hair. His head hurt too much for him to care. The throbbing had died down to a dull, continuous, pain centered behind his eyes. Turning his head, he pressed his temple to the cool stone in hopes of some relief.

He growled when someone pushed open one of the grass flaps and sent a line of bright sunlight right across his eyes. Cracking one eye open, he glared at the offender. Kagome was unmoved as she knelt down next to him with a small metal-alloy cup cradled in her hands.

"Please, don't be like that. I'm not in the mood," she sighed as she placed the cup down next to him.

Inuyasha pushed himself to a sitting position, still glaring. "What the hell do you want?"

"Here," Kagome said, lifting the cup to him. "Kirara and I have been working on this. It's a pain killer. I saw the gash on your head and thought you'd be perfect to test it... that, and no one else will." She gave him a half-hearted grin.

Inuyasha looked down into the purple green contents of the cup and frowned. It smelled foul in a way he could not describe. He leveled her with a withering glare. "What kind of an idiot do you take me for?"

"Fine!" Kagome snapped. "I'm just trying to help. I'm sure it will make your head feel better."

"Or kill me," Inuyasha offered mildly.

"I should be so lucky!" Kagome huffed, slamming the cup down. The contents sloshed onto the ground. Inuyasha grinned at her as he picked up the cup. He knocked it back in one gulp, then grimaced. It tasted as bad as it smelled and left his tongue and lips tingling. Kagome raised an eyebrow.

"Here's hoping your doctor skills are better than your barmaid ones," he snorted. Kagome pursed her lips and snatched her cup back with an annoyed "humph."

"You better get that wound cleaned before it becomes infected."

"What?" Inuyasha gave her a sly grin. "You aren't going to insist on doing it for me? If you're good, I'll even let you hold me down." Kagome's mouth worked wordlessly for a moment. Then she raised her hand. Inuyasha easily caught it before she slapped him and grinned. "What's wrong, science girl? I was just trying to reward you for taking care of me."

"You're an ass!" She yanked herself free and stormed out of the shelter, Inuyasha's laughter drifting behind her. In frustration she turned and threw the cup back into the shelter, smiling when it clanged loudly, followed by a "bitch!"

Satisfied, she walked back to where Kirara, Emer, Katrine, Sango, and Miroku were sitting. They each had a large leaf spread out in front of them, on which they were crumbling bits of dried plants. Sango scooted over enough to let her into the circle and passed her comp back to her. Kirara sat next to a small pot over a tiny fire, stirring the contents with a long stick that had had the bark stripped off. Pale blue steam rose in wisps from the top of the pot.

"Did you actually get him to drink that stuff?" Emer asked, her nose wrinkled in disgust.

Kagome nodded. "He drank it... then said it was disgusting,"

"I can't say I blame him," Kirara added, peering into the pot. "If your comp hadn't said this stuff was safe, I certainly wouldn't have tried it."

"If we are lucky, maybe it will kill him," Sango huffed.

"You should not wish such an ill fate on anyone, Lady Sango," Miroku said sagely without looking away from his careful crumbling. "It tempts the gods into ill favor." Sango blushed at the admonishment, muttering something under her breath.

"He's kind of an ass," Kagome agreed, "But that doesn't mean he should die for it."

"At least we have a willing test subject," Katrine added.

"I don't think 'willing' is the proper word..." Kagome replied. "But, then, his head probably hurts and he's not the most open individual." She pulled a large leaf towards her and began grinding up the dried plants with her hands.

Sango snorted. "You can say that again. Serves him right, if you ask me. We're lucky he did not kill anyone this time."

"We each must find our own path," Miroku added as he dusted off his hands and passed the contents of his leaf to Kirara. "It is not your place to choose his path for him, nor that of those whom choose to follow in his footsteps."

Sango pursed her lips and glared at him. "It is my job to keep this group alive until the second wave arrives."

"Your job and your path are not indivisible." Miroku stood. "If you will excuse me, my ladies, I think I had best go wash up."

&&&

Inuyasha yawned as he opened his eyes. A thin sliver of golden light peeked between the hanging grass mats, signaling the lateness of the day. He squinched his eyes closed and stretched, trying to work the grogginess from his muscles. Pushing himself to a sitting position, he rubbed his head – realizing at once that his hair was still a bloody mess and his head no longer hurt.

With a yawn, he climbed to his feet, cursing when he had to use the wall to steady himself. The ground refused to stay still at first, but it passed quickly. Pushing his way out of the shelter, he saw everyone else settling in for the evening. He swore again and began walking towards the river, driven by his dry throat.

A fist grabbed the edge of his shirt and he turned to glare at the offender. Kagome huffed and held out a canteen. Without a word he took it, pulled off the cap, and upended it into his mouth. It was semi-warm, but he did not care and quickly drained the liquid, wiping his mouth on his arm when he finished.

"Well you let me clean that for you?" she asked softly. "It will get infected if it stays like that and it's not safe to go out alone at twilight."

"Keh." He shrugged in disinterest and sank to the ground. He closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. A few moments later he felt Kagome carefully dabbing at the area with a damp cloth. "It doesn't hurt."

"Of course not," She replied promptly. "The light is just low and I'm not sure what is blood and what is flesh."

"Keh," he repeated. They were silent for a long time as she worked. Around them, the camp went to sleep and the creatures of the night began to wake up. When she had finished cleaning away the still-sticky blood, Kagome covered the wound with a slimy green paste and wrapped a piece of cloth around his head a few times.

"There," she announced as she tied off the end of the wrap. "That should do it. You can take the cloth off in the morning; it's just there to keep the antibiotic on." She sat back on her heels, looking down at her hands. "And... I'm sorry I threw the cup at you. I'm hungry and that tends to put me in a sour mood. I'm sure you were tired and not in the mood to have me forcing anything on you. So, I apologize."

"Keh." He stood up and shrugged. "You talk too much."

"And you're still an ass," she replied with a sigh and pulled one of her mini-comps off her belt. "Can you tell me how the medicine made you feel?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Sleepy," he offered simply, then leaned closer and lowered his voice. "It also got rid of a bitch of a headache. You may actually be good for something, science girl." He gave her a half smile before walking back to his shelter and letting the curtain fall in place behind him.

&&&

"This... isn't... working," Krishna panted as the hunting party watched yet another prey dart away.

"They are too fast,"Aonghus added as he rested with his hands against his knees, his breath coming in short gasps. "What we need is something slower..."

"I haven't seen those things run yet," Aodh offered, pointing to one of the largest creatures surrounding them. It stood at least twelve feet high at the shoulders, with a stout, round body and a barrel chest. Thick rolls of gray skin was sported a fine layer of moss, giving it a greenish tint. Heavy heads with large mouths slumped from nonexistent necks. They opened their mouths, showing rows of long flat teeth, before ripping huge swathes of grass up by the roots. Dull eyes gazed constantly at the ground, without a care in the world as they lumbered along at a snail's pace on their short legs.

"I don't think that thing could run if its life depended on it," Inuyasha snorted.

"Assuming we could kill that thing," Krishna pointed out, "what would we do with it? It's got to be at least a couple tons. We couldn't move that, even if we got everyone out here to help."

"And I don't want to know what will happen if it runs over someone," Muriel added, shaking her blue hair. "Death would be a blessing." The group stood, huddled together in silence. Around them the animals grazed, but kept an eye on the people as they did. A stiff wind rippled the grass and all the animals lifted their heads.

"What we need," Shippou said after a long silence, "is some sort of range weapon... something we can throw."

"Like, maybe, rocks?" Kouga asked sarcastically as he tossed a jagged fist-sized stone in the air and caught it.

"No, you dumbass," Inuyasha snapped. "He means a chouse."

"Oh, of course, how stupid of me," Kouga bit back, "I'll go stoke the fire and you go find a dozen or so alloy pipes. Then we can get right on that. I'm going back to the cave. This is a waste of time." He tossed the stone over his shoulder as he walked away.

Inuyasha snarled at his back. "I hope you get lost, you son of a bitch. "Kouga made a rude gesture over his shoulder.

"He does have a point," Aodh said carefully. "How are we going to make these chouses?"

Inuyasha frowned at him for a moment before turning back to the plains. "I'm going to try for one of the small ones this time." He pointed to one of the striped horse-creatures that was a third smaller than the one it was cleaving to. "Anyone coming?"

&&&

Inuyasha rolled the stick slowly between his palms. It was about an inch thick, three feet long, and not very straight; but it would serve his purposes. Using the hologram from the mini-comp as a guide, he carefully began to rub one end against the stone floor. The work was slow and soon his fingers and back began to hurt. When one side was flat, he rotated the stick ninety degrees and began again. He worked until the light grew too dim to see by. When morning came, he returned to his task.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:**_ Okay, I know this one was a long time in coming. I'm really sorry. This muse is as fickle as they come and tends to not cooperate. There were no new questions to answer, so I'll just jump right in._

_**Foundations of Neo Genesis**_

Chapter 15

Inuyasha weighed the chouse in his hand. It was lighter than he was used to, and not as straight. But the point was sharp enough to draw blood from his finger and he was confident it would hold up under stress. All he needed was a test.

Pushing the grass curtain out of the way, he stepped out into the cold light of morning. The mist hung in the air and few people were up yet. A grin touched his lips as he spotted Kouga pacing at the edge of the overhang. He was thinner now – they all were – ribs starting to show from lack of substantial food, and like others he had picked up nervous habits. His was to pace, almost endlessly, like a caged animal.

Inuyasha smiled in amusement as an idea snaked its way into his brain. Lifting the chouse and taking aim, Inuyasha took several quick steps forward and let the weapon fly. It kind of wobbled in the air as it flew, making a sickly arc towards its target. Kouga turned in his pacing just in time to watch the chouse sail only a foot from his head. He swore violently as Inuyasha howled with laughter.

"Son of a bitch!" Kouga screamed and lunged at Inuyasha. With a snort the half-demon nimbly dodged and Kouga's fist met only air. Inuyasha responded with a knee to the gut and an elbow to the back of the wolf demon's skull, sending him crashing to the ground.

"What is going on?" Sango asked with an annoyed yawn as she stepped out of her shelter. She looked at Kouga picking himself up off the ground with Inuyasha standing over him and frowned. Kouga groaned as he pushed himself to his knees and ran a hand over the back of his skull.

"Fucking bastard..." he hissed.

"Serves you right, dick," Inuyasha huffed. Ignoring Sango's glare he retrieved his chouse.

Sango's jaw dropped. "Is that what I think it is?"

Inuyasha grinned wolfishly. "What's the matter, Lieutenant? Bad memories?"

"What are you planning to do with that?" Sango's hand subconsciously moved to her hip, feeling for her missing weapon.

Inuyasha snorted. "That's right, Lieutenant. I spent three days of my life making a chouse when I could have just slit your throat in your sleep on any given night." By now he had attracted a crowd as the group began to rouse from the commotion. "I have three more of these and I'm going hunting, who's with me?"

&&&

The grass sea spread out before them, waving in the gentle breeze. The morning mist was just beginning to fade, giving way to ghostly islands of flesh and bone as the creatures took their breakfast. The animals crowded close together as they grazed, always looking up and listening for something hidden in the mist.

Inuyasha laid his ears back against his skull as he peered over the top of the grass. His followers were small this time. Shippou had not even hesitated. Aodh had looked dubious but agreed in the end. Krishna had followed with a great deal of reluctance. No one else would come. He found it frustrating, but no amount of yelling had done him any good.

With a sharp motion of his hand, he motioned for the others to follow as he crept on hands and knees towards a group of Fringe Gazelle. The delicate creatures pranced nervously, so close now the demons could hear the grass rustle as they moved. One let out a bleat like a tone-deaf goat.

The wind picked up, and Inuyasha tried to crouch lower, hoping it would not shift and give them away. At his cue they sprang. The creatures bleated in surprise as the grass parted and the small group leapt at the closest member of the herd. Shippou made an awkward grab for the neck, managing to just hang on as the gazelle thrashed and screamed. Aodh added his weight to the shoulders, trying to keep the bucking to a minimum, but mostly succeeding in being tossed about like a doll.

Inuyasha and Krishna jabbed their chouses into the creature's sides. They did not go very deep, but enough to draw blood – which was splashed through the air as the creature fought for its freedom. Shippou was reduced to wrapping his arms and legs around the deer-like creature's long neck, weighing it down, but not keeping it very still. Aodh had been thrown off completely. The constant movement made Krishna and Inuyasha's task all the harder.

It took another fifteen minutes before the gazelle finally collapsed from a mixture of exhaustion and blood loss. Inuyasha delivered the final, merciful, blow, driving the chouse into the gazelle's skull through the eye socket.

With their quarry dead, the four collapsed, panting for breath. They were covered in blood, mostly the gazelle's, but some of their own, as well as numerous bruises. Still, they smiled at each other. They had made their first kill.

The grass rustled and a soft cry sent chills down their collective spines. Four heads turned to see the giant birds advancing on them. The ten brown monsters made no secret of their approach or their intent. They hissed, a low, raspy sound, as they walked closer, heads lowered and forelimbs poised.

The four scrambled to their feet. Inuyasha raised his chouse, pointing it at the nearest of the birds. The others followed suit.

"This looks bad..." Aodh said softly.

"Shippou," Inuyasha said in an even voice. "Pick up the deer, and everyone back away slowly."

"Right." Shippou nodded, passing his chouse to Krishna before lifting the dead animal onto his shoulder. He grunted under the weight. Slowly they began to back away from the birds, who, in turn, advanced faster.

"This isn't working," Krishna growled.

"Running sounds like a good idea," Aodh added.

"I've never run from anything in my life," Inuyasha hissed. "I'll be damned if I start now." Shippou opened his mouth to reply, but his foot caught on a tangle of grass and he went down. A bird screamed and the group surged forward. The birds were fast, and closed the short distance in the blink of an eye. Shippou's eyes widened as he kicked the carcass off and tried to escape.

The first bird grabbed the gazelle, ripping off a leg with a sharp twist. Shippou scrambled backwards as another bird grabbed the meat from the first. Both birds growled as they tugged at the meat. The second bird stepped, pulling hard, and landed on Shippou's leg. Sharp claws sliced into the soft flesh of his inner thigh and he bit his tongue to keep from crying out.

Strong arms wrapped around his chest and dragged him back into some grass, concealing him from the birds' view. Shippou ground his teeth together as he looked up at Inuyasha, Krishna, and Aodh.

"Can you walk?" Aodh asked carefully.

"Yeah..." The fox demon hissed, starting to push himself to his feet.

"The hell you can." Inuyasha shoved him back down. "You'll bleed to death if you do."

Shippou sat up enough to see his leg and cringed. Blood was seeping out and pooling on the ground below him. "Shit!"

Inuyasha pulled his shirt off over his head, took hold of the collar, and pulled. With a loud rip the shirt tore down the middle. Holding one piece between his teeth, he tied the other tightly around Shippou's thigh above the gashes. The second he used to cover the wounds. When he was finished he turned and offered Shippou his back. "Get on."

"I can walk..." Shippou replied.

"I wasn't giving you a choice, runt."

&&&

Kagome looked up as Aodh skidded into camp. Sweat rolled down his face and he looked pale under his fresh sunburn. His head swiveled on his neck as if searching for someone – panic rising in his eyes. His eyes landed on her and he rushed over, grabbing her roughly by the shoulders.

"Where's the nurse?" His voice higher than usual in his flustered state, he gave her a small shake to drive home the point.

"Kirara? She went to the river..." Kagome did not even finish before he bolted in the indicated direction.

"What was that about?" Sango asked, slightly taken aback.

"I believe you will find your answer there, dear ladies," Miroku answered. They turned to see Inuyasha trudging out of the woods, shirtless, Shippou hung limply across his back. The younger demon's face was pale and his eyes unfocused. His right leg was glistening with blood that was slowly dripping from the back of Inuyasha's hand where it was hooked under his leg. Krishna trailed behind them looking ready to catch Shippou if he pitched over backwards.

For a moment all Kagome could do was stare in horror, but was jostled from her thoughts when Sango brushed past and hit her shoulder. She quickly followed.

"What have you done?!" the Lieutenant hissed as Inuyasha crouched down. Krishna took hold of Shippou around the chest and they carefully lay the young demon on the ground.

"One of the birds slashed him," Krishna growled. "He'd be dead if Inuyasha hadn't pulled him out." Sango huffed, but blushed as she looked away. Inuyasha said nothing as he walked away. Kagome turned back to Shippou, kneeling down at his side to look at the damage. She untied what appeared to be half a shirt covered in blood and tossed it aside; grimacing when it laded with a wet splat.

The wound underneath was a single deep gash that cut through the inside of his thigh, flanked by a much shallower cut on either side. Kirara dropped down next to Kagome a moment later. Her hair was wet and she looked both harassed and worried. Edging Kagome aside she leaned over the wound and gently prodded it. Shippou groaned and tried to pull away.

"We have to stop the bleeding. Sango, hold his leg still," Kirara instructed. Sango nodded and took hold of Shippou's knee, turning his leg out slightly to give the nurse better access. Krishna put his hands on Shippou's shoulder to keep him still. Kirara bit her lip as she dug into her supplies.

"Move," Inuyasha said flatly, then shouldered his way in before anyone could oblige him. In one hand he held a stick and in the other was his dagger, which glowed slightly red. Shifting his hold on the stick he grabbed Shippou's jaw and forced the younger demon to look at him. "Ready?"

Shippou blinked hard at him, trying to focus, then nodded slightly. Inuyasha placed the stick between the younger demon's teeth He put his forearm across Shippou's chest, putting weight on him and blocking his view of his leg.

"What are you doing?" Kirara asked harshly. "I have to stop the bleeding." Inuyasha ignored her and pressed the flat of the blade against the deepest wound. Shippou bit down on the stick, screamed, and arched his back all at once. Inuyasha kept his weight on the younger demon's chest, holding him as still as possible. The sickly sweet smell of burning meat filled the air as Shippou's flesh hissed.

Inuyasha pulled the dagger away and Shippou relaxed, breathing hard. Sweat dripped from his brow as he turned and spit the stick out. "Crap...fuck...shit, that hurt."

"I can't believe you did that..." Kirara whispered, leaning over to inspect the end result. "You completely cauterized it. How...?"

"Keh," Inuyasha huffed, pushing himself to his feet. "Get some rest, runt." Shippou only grunted.

Kagome watched as Inuyasha walked away. He had a smear of blood on his lower back and hand. His pants were clinging to his leg where the gore soaked them. It had dripped down so far that the hem was slowly dripping the red liquid onto his foot, causing him to leave red footprints in his wake.

On impulse she got up and hurried after him. "Are you hurt?" Kagome asked as she caught his arm and attention. He frowned at her and she indicated his leg.

"No, that's the runt's blood. I'm fine." He shook off her hand.

"Oh... What happened out there?" she asked, doing her best to keep pace with him as he walked.

"The bird slashed Shippou. Don't you pay attention, woman?"

"Humph," Kagome snorted. "I was hoping for a better description than that. I have been studying biology and animal behavior for several years. If I knew more I could provide some insight that might prevent– What are you doing?!" She yelped and covered her eyes as Inuyasha unfastened his pants and began sliding them off.

"I'm going to take a bath," Inuyasha replied, sounding very amused. She heard the sound of his pants hitting the ground with a wet thump. "Are you going to join me or not?" Kagome felt her face grow hot and bolted back towards camp, the sound of Inuyasha's laughter in her ears.

&&&

Kagome groaned as she was pulled unpleasantly from her dreams. Something jabbed her in the side and she rolled away, swatting it away as she muttered unintelligibly. This time something grabbed her arm gently and rolled her back over.

"Wake up, damn it!" someone hissed. Her eyes snapped open to see Inuyasha's frowning face hovering over her. She yelped and he clamped his hand over her mouth. "Shut up. You want to wake the whole camp?" She glared at him and tried to bit the palm of his hand. Inuyasha raised an unimpressed eyebrow, but removed his hand anyway.

"What is wrong with you?" She glanced between the grass mats of her shelter, "It's not even light out yet."

"No shit. We need to get an early start," He rolled to his feet and opened the grass mat door, looking back at her expectantly.

"Excuse me, but I'm not going wandering around in the dark," Kagome huffed and curled back up to go to sleep. "Furthermore, why do you see the need to bother me?" He growled and she heard the mat swish back into place.

"Because, princess," his breath warmed her cheek as he spoke in a low whisper. "I'm not going to go hungry one more night. But I'm all outta ideas. I need that big brain of yours to tell me how to catch one of those damn things."

"What things?" she asked without thinking.

"At this point, I don't give a flying fuck."

Rolling over with a sigh, Kagome looked at him with half-lidded eyes. She briefly wondered where he had found another shirt, but did not feel like dwelling on it. "And what, pray tell, makes you think I know anything that can help you?"

He leaned down until their noses nearly touched. "Yeah, well you better hope you figure something out with that big ass brain of yours. I ain't been keeping you fed for shits and giggles."

"Are you threatening me?" She straightened her shoulders.

"I don't threaten women. What the hell would you do about it if I was anyway?"

"You're a jerk."

"I've been called worse." He took her elbow and pulled her to her feet. "Let's go." Kagome stumbled after him as he pulled her out of her shelter. The camp was quiet except for the soft sounds of the forest drifting in the air. His bare feet padded lightly over the stone floor, but her shoes thumped loudly in the morning calm. Her foot caught on a loose stone and she stumbled as the rock clattered across the ground. "Idiot."

"I'm human," Kagome hissed back. "Sorry I don't have the advantage of good night vision."

He grunted, then promptly scooped her up. Kagome barely managed to swallow her surprised yelp. Cradling her in his arms, Inuyasha made his way silently through camp and into the forest beyond. Kagome swallowed hard, her mind racing.

"I'm not gonna hurt you," he huffed irritably.

"I-I never implied that you would."

"You're shaking," he replied, setting her on her feet again. Taking a few steps ahead he knelt in the dirt. "Get on. It will be easier to carry you on my back."

Kagome hesitated, looking between his back and the camp. "How do I know you aren't going to take me off into the woods and rape me?"

Inuyasha rolled slowly to his feet and looked over his shoulder at her. His golden eyes glittered in the pale light. Kagome took a step back at the annoyed expression on his face. She watched in horrified fascination as his hand slipped under the back of his shirt and withdrew, dagger in hand. The edge seemed to glow, and her eyes followed its graceful flashing as he flipped it in the air and caught the blade. She jumped when he thrust it at her, hilt first.

"Take it," he ordered. Kagome did without question. The knife felt odd in her hand. It was large, clearly not made for someone with small, delicate hands. The hilt was worn, tangle of cloth wrapped over tangle of cloth. The blade had been thinned through too many sharpenings. The weapon looked brutal and deadly. Dried blood encrusted around the grip confirmed it. "Now you're armed and I'm not. Now if I try anything you can cut off my balls and wear them as earrings. Your buddy, Sango, would be so proud."

"That is a truly beautiful thought," she replied dryly. Snorting, he crouched back down. Kagome slipped the knife into the back of her pants, as she had seen him do many times before, only to find it hard to arrange. By the time she had it in a comfortable position, Inuyasha was laughing at her. Huffing, she let him lift her onto his back.

She was startled by how effortlessly he seemed to carry her. His bare feet trod over the soft earth with minimal sound; even the plants they passed seemed to bend out of his way. Even wading across the river seemed oddly muted. He did not speak as he walked, and any attempt at conversation on her part was quickly and harshly snuffed out.

Surrendering to his surly attitude, she rested her head on his shoulder. She could hear the steady rhythm of his heart below her ear. The gentle up and down motion of his gate rocked her and the darkness of morning wrapped around her like a blanket.

"You know, for someone who is worried about being raped, you're awfully trusting. I could do all sorts of crap to you in your sleep," Inuyasha grunted. Kagome startled awake. Inuyasha peered over his shoulder at her, an eyebrow raised. Kagome blinked and blushed. "Well, princess, I ain't holding your ass all day. Get off."

Kagome slid to the ground and looked around. They had traveled to where the plains met the forest and the sun was just peeking over the horizon, chasing away the sparkling navy with streaks of hot pink and orange. The world held everything in its usual misty morning embrace, giving the world a surreal glow. Dark silhouettes moved lazily through the mist.

"If you stay down there, something is going to eat you," Inuyasha huffed. Looking up she realized he had climbed one of the trees and made himself comfortable on a large branch.

"Oh, right," Kagome replied, shaking herself from her daze.

Inuyasha watched silently as Kagome wrapped her arms around the tree trunk and tried to shimmy up. After several unsuccessful attempts, she tried climbing the few feet she could manage and reaching for a low branch.

"You are going to hurt yourself."

"Then why don't you help– ow!" Kagome yelped as she tumbled off the trunk and landed hard. Sitting up, she clutched her fist to her chest as a few drops of blood pearled up between her fingers.

"Gods dammit, woman," Inuyasha huffed, dropping gracefully from the tree. He knelt next to her and pulled her hand open. Blood was smeared across her palm and fingers, but there was not that much. Carefully wiping as much away as he could with the back of his hand, he found a small object embedded in her palm. With a quick yank, he pulled it out. He started to toss it, but Kagome snatched it with her free hand.

"Don't just throw it away, it could be important."

"Whatever," he grunted, ripping a strip of cloth from his shirt and wrapping her hand. "Now get on my back and hold on tight." Nodding, she did as she was told. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she clung to him as Inuyasha pulled them into the tree with some effort.

"Thanks," Kagome replied as he settled her on a thick branch.

"Whatever. Just use your brain to get my information."

They fell silent as they watched the plains that stretched out before them. The animals moved quietly, their shadowy forms becoming more substantial as the fog began to burn away. For a long time, nothing happened, and Kagome found herself leaning against the tree trunk with her eyes half lidded.

The scream that rent the air was so sudden she startled and would have tumbled out of the branches had Inuyasha not caught her arm.

"What was that?" she asked as she regained her balance. Inuyasha pointed. Two of the birds raced across the plains, screaming. The other animals scattered, their frightened cries piercing the morning air. The two birds split up, flanking a small group of the horse-like creatures and chasing them away from the main group.

"Look at that..." Kagome breathed, carefully standing on the branch for a better view. "It's like the Terraraptors are herding them... but where to...?"

Another scream rent the air as half a dozen more birds appeared, charging straight at the fleeing prey. The creatures tried to scatter but were easily outnumbered. The horses let out a final panicked cry, before the birds silenced them with claws and beak.

"Did you see that?" Kagome asked, practically bouncing on the branch. "Did you see the way they worked together? Dividing the zorse and herding them, then surrounding them! Amazing! The intelligence! For something like that they would need communication, planning, and organizational skills! There is no telling how smart these creatures are!"

Inuyasha said nothing as Kagome rattled on in excitement, his eyes trained on the birds as they gorged on their meal.

&&&

"I don't know if this is such a good idea," Aonghus said as he trailed behind the group. Each carried a crudely made chouse as they walked through the forest. The afternoon heat was baking its way through the trees, turning the world into a hothouse. There was not even a breeze to keep them cool. Sweat was beading on every brow and soaking into every shirt.

"Then go back," Inuyasha huffed.

"Negative thoughts can only be harmful," Krishna added.

"Besides," Aodh added cheerfully, "Miroku blessed us before we left. So Liron guards our steps."

"You really are into that stuff, aren't you?" Chanda snorted in distaste. With thick auburn hair and piercing teal eyes, the human woman cut an imposing figure. She was tall and lean, with a scar that ran from her right temple and across both lips before dropping off the left side of her jaw.

"I just do not see how I can be useful," Charon cut in. "I am just a simple engineer."

"I also fail to see why you want me along," Branwen said, dark curls bouncing around violet eyes. The raven demon glanced sideways at the woman by her side. "Did he give you any answers, Savannah?" The lioness demon shook her golden hair.

"Shut the fuck up, all of you," Inuyasha growled, "before you attract something with teeth." The group fell silent, save for the dead leaves and sticks crunching underfoot.

When they reached the tree line, Inuyasha pulled up short. Aodh and Krishna stopped at his shoulders while the rest hung back. He scanned the plains before him with a careful gaze. The herds where widespread, trying to stay cool in the afternoon heat as they grazed. He did not see any of terraraptors.

Making a motion with his hand he moved into the tall grass, leaving the others to follow. Walking forward, Inuyasha probed the ground with the blunt end of his stick, watching the sharpened end bob above the grass. Finally he found a spot where the earth was soft and the grass high, and stopped. Everyone stopped behind him, all looking perplexed.

"Aodh, Charon, Branwen, Savannah. Bury your chouses so they are pointing away from the forest. Make sure they are low enough that the grass hides them. The rest of you, we will flush the animals this way. Krishna and Aonghus, you go left. Chanda, you're with me."

They split up. Inuyasha led Chanda through the tall grass, keeping low as they went. The soft earth squished underfoot, and the grass rustled as they moved through it. A few of the nearby animals raised their heads, but did not perceive them as a threat and returned to grazing. When they had circled around behind a small cluster of Zorse, Inuyasha raised his head and looked for the other group.

"If this works, you're getting laid tonight," Chanda whispered in his ear.

Inuyasha glanced back at her with a small smile. "Don't bite off more then you can chew, little girl."

"I only bite if you ask nice."

"Promises, promises." He turned back to see Krishna give him a small wave, announcing they were in position. "There's the signal. Let's go." They crept back the way they had come, angling themselves to align with the buried chouses.

Inuyasha let his breathing become shallow as he moved through the shadows of the tall grass. He felt his muscles twitching and could hear his blood rushing in his ears. As the silhouette of one of the zorses came into his line of sight, he tensed. The creature's ear twitched towards him, but it showed no other sign it was alert to his presence.

His own ear twisted to catch the sounds of the others settling into position, and waiting for his signal. He watched, eyes trained on the creature in front of him. His fingers tightened around his chouse. The zorse lifted its head.

Inuyasha lunged, striking out with his chouse. The animal let out a screech as it jumped sideways to avoid the attack, landing directly in front of Chanda. Her chouse grazed its side before it lunged away again. Krishna and Aonghus appeared in its path and the zorse changed direction again, this time towards the forest and the trap.

Inuyasha quickly discovered that trying to run through the tall grass was harder than the other creatures made it look. The sharp blades cut into his skin, making it red and irritated, and the soft soggy soil underfoot made sprinting almost impossible.

The zorse screamed and stopped so suddenly it flipped forward. Aodh, Branwen, Charon, and Savannah scattered. For a moment they all stood in silence as the panicked creature thrashed and kicked wildly, all the while making an awful wheezing cry.

Growling, Inuyasha pulled out his dagger. In a quick movement he sliced the creature's throat open. It gave a final weak thrash and gasping noise before it was still and silent. Inuyasha wiped the blade on his pants as he turned to the group.

With no other way to move their kill, they would have to carry it back to camp. It took several minutes to arrange themselves in such a way they could move the much larger animal, even then the process was awkward and slow.

They had barely made it halfway back to the cover of the trees when another scream rent that air. All heads turned to see the terraraptors stalking towards them. The birds held themselves rigid as they moved, making no attempt to hide in the tall grass. Occasionally one would hiss or scream.

"Shit, now what?" Charon hissed. Several heads swiveled between Inuyasha and the birds.

He frowned at them in disgust, then glanced over his shoulder at the approaching birds. "The hell I'm fighting those things." He dropped the carcass and raised his chouse in defense as he began to back away. The terraraptors advanced more quickly and the rest of the group quickly joined him. "Run for the trees and climb as high as you can," Inuyasha hissed through clenched teeth. "Now!"

They turned and bolted. Adrenaline rushed in his veins and blood pounded in his ears as Inuyasha cleared the grass and grabbed for the lowest branch of the nearest tree. Behind him he could hear the grass shaking wildly as bodies rushed through it and the heavy breathing of the people around him. The branch bit deep into his hand where a small twig had been broken off, but he did not care. After pulling himself up he turned and reached for Aodh's hand.

As he pulled the tiger demon up, he caught sight of the terraraptors and froze. The birds had not given chase. Instead they gathered around the zorse carcass, chattering as they ripped off chunks of flesh and gulped it down. One picked up a forgotten chouse, turned it curiously in its three-fingered hands, and bit it; then dropped it in disinterest and returned to the zorse.

"Son of a bitch!" Inuyasha yelled. The terraraptors raised their heads only momentarily to look at him.

"I think we have just been had..." Krishna said from his perch in another tree.

"Smart bastards," Chanda growled from the ground.

They could do nothing but watch as the terraraptors consumed their hard-earned kill. When the birds finally ate their fill, the group waded back through the grass to where the zorse lay. The creature had been reduced to a skeleton, with nothing more than scraps of flesh clinging to the bones.

"Fuck," Inuyasha breathed as he picked up a discarded chouse.

"Now what?" Aonghus asked exasperated.

"We need to rethink our exit strategy," Krishna said.

Charon rubbed the back of his neck and looked up at the sky. "Well, we better go back to camp to do it. If we don't start walking it will be dark before we get back and I don't fancy trying to find my way back then." Everyone muttered in agreement, retrieving all the chouses they could find.

The trek back was made in silence. Inuyasha studied the chouse he had picked up. Blood coated the end. Tilting it up he watched with disinterest as a sluggish drop rolled down to his hand, joining the blood already drying on his skin. He growled in frustration and his stomach returned in kind. Cursing under his breath, he began searching the canopy for fruit.

As they all took time at the river to wash the blood from their bodies and clothes before returning to camp they were greeted by Kouga. The wolf demon looked them up and down and snorted. "Still following the puppy? Serves you right."

"I ain't in the mood for your shit, jackass. So get the fuck out of my way," Inuyasha groused, shoving the other demon aside he stormed into his shelter. Kouga growled at his back.

&&&

"He seems crankier than usual..." Kagome whispered to Kirara as she helped redress the wound on Shippou's leg.

"Can't say that I blame him," Savannah replied as she joined them. "We actually had the meat in our hands, physically carrying it back, when those damn birds took it away!"

"Everyone's okay, right?" the nurse asked as she tied off the bandage. "Is that too tight?"

"It's fine," Shippou assured her as he sat up and stretched his leg. "What happened?"

"It was really simple actually." Savannah sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "We just set up a barrier and chased the zorse into it so it stabbed itself. We just need a faster way to move the thing after we kill it. If we only had a hover board or something."

Kagome cleared her throat. "I'm sure there is a simpler solution. No need to reinvent the wheel..." She blushed, realizing what she had said. "Er, well, maybe there is." The others laughed. Trying to cover her embarrassment, she stood up and walked towards her shelter. "I'll just go check my records. Maybe there is a suggestion in there."

Sighing, Kagome escaped into her shelter. Kneeling next to her bag she dug out her comp before leaning against the stone wall. She flipped the switch and listened to the soothing hum as the comp booted up. This was her element. Sango may have been able to handle all these people, but not her. She was much more at home alone with a comp.

As the hologram popped up, she let her hands slide into the picture, feeling the welcoming tingle of electrons and ions dancing against her skin. She liked data, information; it was simple, honest, pure. It did not lie or deliberately dispense misinformation. That made it safe.

With a welcoming smile, she touched an icon, and felt the picture shift around her hands. It formed a book, its cover decorated with more icons that presented her with the subject choices. With the deft movement of experienced hands, she tapped the history icon. The picture changed again, this time into a keyboard and a floating cursor. She typed in "wheel," feeling the odd pressure the "keys" exerted.

Pulling her hands free, she watched as the hologram once again formed a book and quickly flipped through its pages. At vaguely the center of the book it stopped and propped itself up. Pulling the comp closer she began to read. In short order she began to whisk through the information, storing what she needed in the comp's memory and her own, while rejecting anything that did not seem relevant.

As she sorted through the data, a strange sound began to pick at the edge of her concentration. Frowning, she looked up from the comp. The grass mats of her shelter fluttered in a gentle breeze, the now-dry grass scraping softly as they moved, but did not account for the sound she was hearing. Tilting her head, she listened more closely.

Suddenly her cheeks reddened and she looked to her right. "Oh for the love of Liron! Not everyone wants to hear that!" Grabbing her comp she bolted from the shelter. Still blushing, she dodged anyone who would ask questions and retreated to the bank of the river.

Setting her comp aside she splashed her face with water, trying to cool her blush. Sitting up on her knees, she closed her eyes and tried to rein in her breathing.

"Are you all right? You certainly bolted through camp awfully fast."

Kagome yelped and jumped away from the voice right next to her ear. Clutching her chest she looked up at the man standing over her. He was silhouetted against the early afternoon sun and she had to shade her eyes to see him properly.

"You shouldn't come out in the woods all by yourself." The man smiled as he leaned down. "Don't you know? This is where the big bad wolf lives."

The movement brought his face into the light and Kagome sighed in relief. "Kouga, you scared me!"

He leaned a little closer, still smiling; so close she could feel his breath on her skin. "Sorry, I didn't mean to."

"I really should have been paying more attention," Kagome replied, standing up and putting some distance between them. "It was stupid to come out here by myself. I better head back." She picked up her comp and turned back toward camp. Kouga grabbed her hand and pulled her back to face him.

"What's your hurry? You're not alone out here anymore. I'll keep you safe."

Kagome took another step back and tried to retrieve her hand, but his grip remained firm. "No, thank you. I'd really prefer to go back. People might get the wrong idea if we are alone together too long."

"And what idea might that be?" he asked, stepping closer and placing his free hand on her cheek.

Kagome blushed and jerked away, clasping her comp to her chest. "I'm sorry. You really are very nice, and thank you for worrying about my safety, but I don't feel that way about you. I'm very very sorry." She turned sharply on her heel, heading toward camp when he grabbed her arm and spun her around. Kagome cringed to see his gentle smile had been replaced by a frown.

"You spent hours alone with that mongrel, but I'm not good enough for you?!"

"What? No! It wasn't like that! He just had some questions, that's all. Really!"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "In that case, I have a few 'questions' of my own." His grip tightened and he pulled her towards him. Kagome yelped and slapped him. For a long moment neither moved. Kagome's hand hung in the air, her eyes fixed on it as if it were possessed.

Kouga's free hand rose slowly to touch his wounded cheek. Blue eyes flashed in anger and a low growl rumbled out of his chest. In a single swing, he backhanded her, Kagome screamed in surprise and pain as she hit the ground hard.

&&&

Inuyasha stretched enjoying the scratchiness of the dry grass mat and the coolness of the stone against his bare skin. His eyes closed, he followed Chanda's movements by sound as she collected herself. When she scratched her nails down his chest he opened an eye and reached for her.

Chuckling she stepped out of his reach. "Sorry, big boy, you only get one ride. You want another, you'll have to earn it." With a flip of her hair and a wave, she exited the shelter and he flopped back down. In the thick heat of the afternoon, it felt good to just let his spent body relax against the cool ground.

He was just dozing off when a scream pierced the air. With a curse, he bolted upright. Grabbing his pants and forcing them on, he rushed out of the shelter. The camp was alive as people looked anxiously towards the river where the scream had come from.

Sango was already on the path, and he almost knocked her over pushing past her. As the path opened he readied himself for anything. He found Kagome pinned on her stomach, her arms twisted painfully behind her, while Kouga sat on her back. He held her wrists with one hand while fighting with his pants with the other. Inuyasha growled and lunged. Kouga looked up just in time to receive a kick to the head that sent him tumbling across the grass. Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's arm, pulling her to her feet, and pushed her in the general direction of Sango.

Kouga rolled to his feet and bared his fangs. "Fuck off, mongrel. This ain't any of your business."

"Yeah, but I like pissing you off."

Kouga lunged. Inuyasha caught him and rolled onto his back, using his feet to launch the wolf demon over his head. Kouga landed on his back with a dull "oomph." Inuyasha rolled easily to his feet as Kouga jumped up. The wolf lunged again. Inuyasha responded with a sidestep and slammed his fist into Kouga's gut.

Kouga staggered back, growling. "You little dick. Do you have any idea who I am? I'm a Lord of the Coterie." Off to the side, Sango made a disgusted noise low in her throat. Kouga ignored her. "They trusted me to bring order to this fucking place. And I won't have some fucking street scrounger getting in my way."

Inuyasha snorted. "No wonder you're such a pantywaste. You 'lords' always hide behind your thugs. Gods forbid you get blood under your nails."

Kouga roared and dove at Inuyasha, and the two went tumbling across the ground. It became a melee as they punched, bit, scratched, and kicked each other. They finally stopped and Inuyasha found himself pinned under the other demon with hands wrapped around his throat. Snarling, he grabbed the ponytail hanging over Kouga's shoulder and pulled. The other man resisted, but it was enough for Inuyasha to get one leg free and put his knees against the wolf demon's chest. Using the leverage he was able to force Kouga away, but his claw-like nails left bloody furrows in their wake.

Kouga rolled away and Inuyasha got to his feet. Kouga pushed himself to his hands and knees, but Inuyahsa kicked him in the ribs before he could fully rise. Kouga rolled again and Inuyasha followed, kicking him every time he attempted to get up. When he stopped trying, Inuyasha pulled his dagger from his waistband.

"Stop it!" Kagome cried, grabbing Inuyasha's arm and trying to pull him away from the injured man.

Inuyasha bared his fangs at her. "Move."

"You're killing him!"

"So what?" He tried to push past her but she clung to his arm.

"I don't want anyone to die for my sake. Please, leave him alone. He can't hurt me anymore."

"This isn't about you, you stupid girl!" Pushing Kagome away he turned back to Kouga, only to find the momentary distraction had allowed Kouga to gather reinforcements. The two men who had always followed Kouga around were now standing over him, ready to fight. Snarling, Inuyasha took up a fighting stance.

A movement in his peripheral vision caused Inuyasha to turn his head. He was surprised to see Aodh taking up a place beside him. On the other side, Chanda was pulling Kagome away.

"That is enough," Miroku said inserting himself between the two groups. His staff was gripped tightly in both hands, ready to defend himself if need be.

"Move it, priest," Inuyasha hissed.

"No," Miroku replied firmly. "You've already won. There is no need for more bloodshed."

"Better listen to the priest, mongrel." Kouga coughed as he slowly pushed himself up. "Come to heel like a good little lapdog and I won't–" He was cut off by Miroku bopping him on the head with his staff. "You son of a bitch!" He lunged, but yelped in pain and crumpled, grabbing his ribs. Miroku frowned down at him.

"Keh," Inuyasha huffed. "You're pathetic." He tucked his dagger away and turned back toward camp. The crowd that had gathered quickly parted for him.

"Fucking coward!" Kouga yelled as he staggered to his feet. Inuyasha ignored him.

Miroku glared at the wolf demon. "If you cannot learn to live in harmony with us, you are welcome to leave."

"You are more than welcome," Sango hissed as she came to stand next to Miroku. "Because I'd sooner help that jackass slit your throat than let you stay here." She turned sharply on her heels and stormed away, Miroku following in her wake.

"I won't stay with you lame ass bastards, even if you begged me!"

Shippou looked up as Inuyasha reentered camp. The fox demon's eyes widened as he took in the damage. The cuts around his throat were sending trickles of blood down his chest; he bore a busted lip, a bloody nose, a slight limp, and a number of smaller cuts and rising bruises.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at him.

"Damn. Wonder what the other guy looks like." Shippou said as he carefully put weight on his injured leg.

Inuyasha snorted as he moved to his shelter. "Smart fox."

"Damn straight."

With a tired sigh, Inuyasha leaned against the wall of his shelter. Picking up his discarded shirt he pressed it against his wounded neck. His ears twitched, picking up the subdued sounds of people returning, most speaking in quiet voices about the fight. He only half-listened as he waited for his bleeding to stop.

When the grass mat of his shelter lifted, he snapped to attention with a growl. Kagome flinched and muttered a "sorry."

"Keh. What do you want?"

"I..." She took a cautious step closer. "I just wanted to say thank you. Whatever your reasons, I know you didn't have to help me, and I am grateful."

"Whatever," he huffed. Kagome bit her lip and looked away, letting an uncomfortable silence stretch between them. "What?" Inuyasha finally growled.

"Can I help you with that?" she asked, gesturing to the shirt pressed to his throat. "At least let me make sure he didn't nick anything vital." Rolling his eyes he lowered the shirt. The bleeding had mostly stopped, but the fabric of the shirt had created an awful mess. Blood was smeared from the underside of his chin to his chest, with a few trails crawling their way over his abdominal muscles.

Kagome dropped to her knees, letting the mat go at the same time. She sighed when the light level dropped. Standing back up, she moved the mat so a triangle of light came into the shelter. Dropping back to her knees, she reached out and took his chin in her hand and lifted it slightly. With her other hand she carefully examined the cuts.

"Tell me if I hurt you."

Inuyasha chuckled. "You couldn't hurt me if you tried, little girl."

She finished her examination of his neck and leaned back. "I'll get something to clean and wrap those so they don't get infected, but they don't look too deep." He watched her get up and leave only to return a few minutes later with a canteen, some cloths, and a bowl of brown paste. Inuyasha made a face.

"Yeah, I know it isn't much to look at," Kagome replied as she wet a cloth and began wiping away the blood from his skin. "But according to the analysis on my comp, it has great antibacterial properties." Inuyasha grunted again and Kagome sighed.

Inuyasha watched her as she gently cleaned the wounds and carefully spread her goop over each, before wrapping a clean dry cloth around his neck. He could feel her hands trembling every time they brushed against him, and though she kept a brave face she never met his eyes. He frowned and, as she reached to tie off the cloth, caught her finger softly between bared fangs. She froze; eyes wide, her throat moving to swallow and her mouth working soundlessly.

He licked the digit soothingly before letting go. "Don't be stupid. I sleep three feet away from you. If I was going to hurt you, I would have done it already."

Kagome blushed as she retrieved her hand and quickly busied herself with the tie. Finishing that, she suddenly found the goop very interesting and poked at it for several minutes before she spoke again. When she did, her voice was a bit high and rushed while she continued to study her lap. "Kouga is leaving the group and taking about a dozen people with him."

"Bah. Why should I care what that bastard does?"

She shrugged and played with the goop some more. Finally, she looked into his eyes before looking away again. "Can I ask you something?" When Inuyasha grunted non-conversationally, she pressed on. "Were you really going to kill Kouga?"

Inuyasha tilted his head at the question and raised an eyebrow. Kagome blushed again and began to mutter an apology. "I wasn't going to kill him," he interjected. Kagome smiled brightly before he went on. "But, it ain't my fault if he bleeds to death after I finish with him."

Her smile fell and she leaned away a little. "I can never decide when you are serious..."

"Trust your gut."

She swallowed. "I'd better go..." He chuckled as she gathered her supplies and quickly ducked out.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Foundations of Neo Genesis**_

Chapter 16

Kagome huddled close to her comp as she worked, hoping to keep the bright light concealed as possible. Night had fallen hours ago, but still sleep eluded her. The glow of the hologram illuminated her face as she read through the volumes of research she had called up. Around her, the sounds of the night hummed, trying to draw her into sleep, but she refused to go peacefully. The events of the day poured through her mind every time she closed her eyes.

The rustling of the dry grass hanging mats startled her and she turned to see Inuyasha's groggy and irritated face. The light from her comp threw his features into deep relief, giving his expression an even more ominous appearance. "Dammit, woman, turn that damn thing off and go to sleep."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I just couldn't sleep."

"Keh. That bastard isn't going to come back."

Kagome pursed her lips. "Comforting words from the man who almost committed murder today."

Inuyasha grinned at her, his fangs flashing in the light of her comp. "It ain't murder, ask you're little military lapdog. That jackass was a lower class and for all she cares our lives aren't worth the slime on her boots."

"All life is important," Kagome answered, lifting her chin.

Inuyasha laughed darkly and crawled over to her until their noses were almost touching. "Only an upper crust princess brat like you could live in such a fantasy world. Let me give you a little reality check, sweetie. Life's a bitch. She'll fuck you raw and leave whatever's left in a pile of your own filth. You fight or you die, you kill or you're killed, steal or starve. But don't get caught; the military loves fresh blood on its whipping posts." She cringed as he rubbed his cheek against her own and breathed into her ear. "I take what I want, because no one is going to give it to me."

Kagome swallowed hard, her mouth working soundlessly as he chuckled in her ear. "Pl-please don't."

The chuckling got louder. "You're easy prey, princess." He leaned back so he was crouching in front of her instead. "Lucky you, I'm more interested in what's between your ears than between your legs."

"You have no tact whatsoever, do you?" Kagome asked as she inched away from him.

"It would just get in my way."

"Well, mister I-take-what-I-want, what's in it for me if I help you?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Well, look who grew a pair. I'm already making sure you get fed and I pulled your ass out of the fire several times." He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "What else do you want?"

Kagome lifted her chin with as much dignity as she could. "I want you to be nicer. You are such a bully. You say you want my help, but you do your very best to intimidate me and push me around at every turn. And I'm tired of it."

He stared at her for a minute, then started to laugh. "All right, princess, I'll play nice with you so long as you hold up your end."

"You're solution is at hand, but you are going to need some help." She pushed the comp toward him and pointed to the holographic animation. He frowned as he watched.

&

"You've got to be fucking with me," Inuyasha said as he examined the tiny model he had been handed. The series of twigs had been lined up so they formed a platform about the size of his hand. The twigs were held in place by a pair of twigs at the front and the back, laid perpendicular across the top and bottom. The ends of these pairs where tightly lashed together with bits of grass so the pressure kept the platform in place.

"It will work," Charon assured, plucking the tiny raft from Inuyasha's hand and setting it in the water at the edge of the river. The raft floated slowly away with the current before Charon retrieved it. "See."

"Yeah, it floats. But big things tend to sink, dumb ass."

Charon blinked at him. "But... it's wood." Inuyasha frowned and glared at the human.

"Look," Kagome cut in. "How about you just trust that it will work. But we need some bigger sticks to make it, fallen branches if you can find them."

"Keh," Inuyasha huffed, his ears twitching in irritation. "Fine. But I ain't going anywhere on that thing until I know it won't sink."

"Sure," Kagome smiled. Inuyasha snorted but turned away. Kagome sighed as she watched him signal to Aodh and several others he had rounded up and disappeared into the forest.

"I hope you know what you are doing," Sango said. "He's an animal, he'll kill you if he has the chance." Kagome turned to see her friend and the priest coming down the path from the camp.

"I believe that is a bit unreasonable, Lady Sango," Miroku put in. "I have spoken with Inuyasha and I find him to be quite stable."

Sango glared at him. "Did I ask for your opinion?" She turned back to Kagome with a fierce frown.

"You know what they say, Sango, let your conscience be your guide." Kagome smiled.

"That's funny coming from the devil's advocate," she snapped. Then, with a slow sigh, she softened a bit. "I know you don't want to believe me, Kagome. But he isn't a stray puppy you can just take in and expect him to love you for it. There is no cure for his kind."

Kagome frowned. "You make him sound like a disease."

"They might as well be," Sango huffed. "They are thieves and murders. They contribute nothing to society; only drain the resources for their own benefit. They are parasites."

"It should be pointed out, Sango," Kagome said calmly through clenched teeth, "that 'parasite' has been the one risking his neck to find food. Something you have not."

"I have my orders and I will follow them. Without order, we are no better then the ignos that crawl the streets."

"They're not coming, Sango!" Kagome snapped. "I don't know why they aren't here, and I really don't care! But I do know I don't want to go to bed hungry anymore. We will starve if we don't find food soon. At least he's trying, which is more than I can say for you right now."

Sango's eyes narrowed. "I am under strict orders to keep these people safe. That scrag I expect this sort of half-cocked bullshit from. But I thought you, of all people, had more brains than this. My Gods, Kagome, people are going to die if he has his way. And do you think he's going to care!? Can you live with blood on your hands?"

Kagome felt her whole body sag as she sighed. "No...I don't want anyone to get hurt, but I don't want to die of starvation either. We can only go so long without food, Sango."

The lieutenant's mouth formed a hard line. "You do what you think you have to do, Kagome. And know that I will do the same." With that she turned sharply on her heel and marched away.

Sango sighed to herself as she heard the priest's footsteps fall in behind her. The man was incessant. For the last few weeks he had done nothing but follow her around and dispense unwanted advice on everything from her manners to her command decisions. She wanted to strangle him.

"Lady Sango, while I respect the difficulty of your position, I believe you are judging these people too harshly. Simply because they come from less fortunate situations does not automatically make them criminals. We are all children of Caru and deserve–"

"Shut up!" She spun to face him so quickly that he almost ran into her. "I'm sorry I didn't grow up like you and Kagome, in a nice ivory tower of sunshine and happy vibes. I live in the real world where scum like him kill people who look at them wrong. Hell, the week before we were shipped out I found a priestess who had her throat slit because she was foolish enough to shelter one of them." Miroku's hand went involuntarily to his throat. "You can't show them mercy; they'll only kill you for it."

Miroku lifted and eyebrow and stepped closer. Sango frowned but held her ground. "It is rarely advisable to paint people with such a broad brush. I have spoken to Inuyasha on several occasions, and if he is to be believed, you and your military comrades are the evil that needs to be expunged from the Earth. Yet your views are quite the opposite. And, having spoken with you both, I find you to be very much alike–" he cut short as her open palm made contact with his cheek.

"How dare you compare me to that...that vile gutter rat!"

Rubbing the injured flesh, he drew himself up with as much dignity as the situation allowed. "Disliking the truth does not make it a fable." He turned and disappeared back the way they had come. Sango growled and turned back towards camp.

&

Miroku let his breath out slowly, willing the pain and anger away. That woman was so frustrating, and so angry. It rolled off of her in waves and followed her about like a lost puppy. Over the years he had developed a knack for picking up on the subtle hints of a soul in distress. He had also learned that trying to coax a confession out of someone was like finding stars in the city sky.

Disgusted with his most recent failure to reach the woman, he returned to the river in hope of finding a quite place for some meditation. Instead he found Kagome. Kneeling on the ground over a knot of tangled rope as she tried to untangle it. Her back was stiff and her shoulders straight, but the occasional sniffle broke through the illusion.

"Lady Kagome, are you all right?"

She jumped, and when she spoke her voice cracked slightly. "Yes, fine. Why do you ask?"

Miroku raised an eyebrow. "Indeed...May I join you? I can help you with the rope."

"Sure. I shouldn't be out here alone anyway."

Miroku nodded in silent agreement and settled next to her. Together they worked on the knot, and it slowly began to loosen. "Life is a funny thing, don't you agree, Lady Kagome?"

"Humm?" Kagome responded vaguely while still focusing on her work.

Miroku smiled slightly as he continued. "Here we are, untold light years from home, all forced to live together despite status, class, or genetic make-up. It must be very hard on some people, losing the familiar."

"I suppose..." Her eyes drifted to watch him as he spoke.

"Yet to others it is a great adventure. A chance to break free of the bonds Earth forced us to bear." He turned his bright smile on her. "I'm sure you are having an adventure. What an opportunity for you: to study, name, and classify so many things people trapped on Earth can never imagine."

"...It is a bit exciting."

"If only other bonds were so easily severed, so many others could be happy too."

Kagome's mouth twitched slightly. "If bonds are easily broken, then they were never bonds to begin with."

"I suppose that is true as well," Miroku agreed as he began to neatly roll the rope. "Try not to worry, Lady Kagome. I do not believe we were sent here to die. The Gods will not abandon us."

"I wish I had your faith," Kagome sighed as she set the untangled rope aside and rose to her feet. "Better go see if I can patch things up with Sango. I'm not sure how long it will take Inuyasha to get back, will you wait for him in case this takes longer than I expect?"

"Of course. I need to do my daily meditation anyway."

"Thanks."

Miroku watched as she walked away down the now well-trod path back to camp, a slight smile on his face. When the sound of her footfalls had faded, he turned back to the river and settled into position. Taking a deep breath, he cleared his mind.

&

"Sango?" Kagome asked as she stuck her head into the other woman's shelter.

"What?" Sango barked back in a tone that made Kagome flinch.

Setting her jaw, she stepped inside and let the grass mat fall into place behind her. "Sango...We're friends, right?"

"I thought we were." Sango leveled her with a piercing glare. "But friends don't stab each other in the back; especially not with a knife they borrowed off a filthy scrag."

Kagome summoned her patience. "He's not the guy who killed Kohaku." Sango's glare sharpened and for a moment Kagome wondered if she had gone too far. Still she pressed on. "How about you go with him on this hunt? Then you can see what he is doing for yourself."

"Or your little boy-toy can cut me open and leave me as bird fodder," she growled.

"I know he seems rough and mean on the outside," Kagome said in her most soothing voice, "but on the inside he's just as surly and unlikable." Sango raised an eyebrow and the corner of her mouth betrayed her mild amusement. Feeling better, Kagome sat down next to the young lieutenant and drew her knees to her chest. "I really do understand, Sango, but you need to understand too, I don't want to go to bed hungry again. I feel weak and listless. I can't think. Maybe helping Inuyasha isn't the wisest decision on my part, but at this point his solution is the only option. If you have a better plan, please, let me know and I'll be happy to help. But we can't just keep waiting, orders or not. How do we know the other group wasn't hit by a comet, or the pod malfunctioned somehow. They may take months to send another team, if they send one at all. Just promise me you'll think about it?"

Sango responded with a non-committal grunt.

&

Inuyasha let the logs drop onto the river bank with a dull thud. Aodh and the others followed suit. "Sitting in the forest with your eyes closed is a good way to die."

Miroku opened one eye and gave him a look of mild amusement. "Perhaps. But I find it very trying to meditate when heathens, such as yourself, cannot find it within their hearts to give me a moment's peace."

"Keh."

"You are, of course, welcome to join me. Perhaps we will find enlightenment together."

"Just tell me where the girl went, priest."

Miroku closed his eye, retreating for the moment. "Lady Kagome and Lady Sango had a disagreement shortly after you left. I believe she has gone to make amends."

"Fuck..."

"I do not believe they are those kinds of friends." Miroku smiled. "Pity." Inuyasha rolled his eyes and gave a grunt of annoyance. "I suppose you will be wanting her building plans now? Or were you going to request I keep all further thoughts to myself?" Miroku asked as he held up the comp Kagome had left him. Inuyasha snatched the comp away and turned it on. The program came up automatically.

It took several hours and numerous arguments, but by the time the sun set their craft looked reasonably like the hologram. Inuyasha stepped up onto the craft, hearing it creak under his weight. He jumped on it. The raft groaned but held. "So does anyone think this contraption of hers will actually float?"

"You truly have no faith," Miroku sighed as he leaned on his staff. "I guess the only way to find out would be to put it in the water and see."

Inuyasha nodded and jumped off. Together the group gathered around the raft and lifted it. Grunting, they shuffled to the river and dropped the construct into the water with a splash. "Well, I'll be damned," Inuyasha breathed in surprise as the raft bobbed idly on the surface. Then it began to move, the gentle current of the Euphrates sweeping it along. "Shit!"

The group bailed in after their escaping craft and hauled it back on to land.

&

In the low light of morning, Inuyasha stood at the edge of the forest. Behind him he could hear others rising. He waited. The night before, he had presented his plan to the remaining members. Sango had scoffed, and Kagome had been remarkably quiet. Finally, the soft sounds of footsteps approaching his back made him turn. The person he saw made his eyebrows raise.

Sango stood there, a chouse in one hand and the other on her hip. "Surprised? Good. If I can't stop you from doing this shit, then I'll go with you and supervise."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed and he took a step towards her. "Let's get one thing straight, little girl. I ain't takin' your shit. So be a good little soldier drone and do as you're told, or I'll impale you and leave your carcass for the birds."

"Do you really think Kagome will continue to help you if you kill me?" Sango asked with a slight smile.

"Accidents happen. Besides, who else will feed her?" Inuyasha pointed out as he came toe to toe with the lieutenant.

Sango narrowed her eyes, ready to fire back when a hand gently grasped her shoulder. She turned to see the priest smiling sleepily at her. "May I suggest saving your energy, my dear lady? You are likely to need it in the near future."

"What do you want, priest?" Inuyasha snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "Don't tell me your pansy ass is coming."

"I am a lover, not a fighter. I am merely here to bless this hunt."

"Well, la dee fuckin' da," Inuyasha said flatly. He turned away to see who else had shown up. The pickings were slim. Krishna had shown up, as did Aodh. Branwen, Chanda, and Aonghus were also emerging from their shelters. Xun and Shippou were also awake, though Kirara had made it clear yesterday they were not yet fit to participate. To both their chagrin, Inuyasha had backed her saying he would not "babysit their injured asses."

"Is this all?" Sango asked skeptically.

"Don't tell me she's coming along," Chanda huffed, eying the lieutenant wearily. "She'll probably knife us when we aren't looking."

"Yeah, well, I ain't turning down an able body," Inuyasha replied evenly. He gave Sango a measured look. "But I ain't showin' her my back neither. Let's go."

Inuyasha was as good as his word, keeping Sango a half step ahead of him, with his chouse between them. They made their way to the river in silence, each listening carefully to the world around them. When Sango attempted to give orders riverside, she was hissed into silence by the entire group.

"Someone has to lead," she snapped back.

"If someone doesn't shut her mouth," Branwen replied in a cool whisper, "she will find herself eaten by something with lots of teeth." Sango pursed her lips but did not reply.

Inuyasha grinned and made a motion with his hands. Sango was forced to follow as the others gathered around the raft, lifted it, and carried it to the water. While Aonghus held it in place everyone else climbed on, then he joined them.

Inuyasha had to admit to himself, the forest was eerie in the pre-dawn hours as they floated lazily past. The stillness was almost deafening; aside from the river and his own breathing, the forest was virtually silent. Suddenly, the trees disappeared, replaced by the waving sea of grass. In the darkness the plains looked even more sea-like. A gentle wind pushed and rolled the tall grass, while islands of flesh hovered like distant boats on Earth's oil-slick oceans.

Quietly as they could, the small group used their chouses to steer the raft ashore. Again, Aonghus held the raft while the rest unloaded, then they pulled it far enough up the bank so the river would not take it.

Without saying a word, Inuyasha directed the others to where he wanted the chouses buried. Sango opened her mouth to comment, but was glared into silence by Krishna and Chanda. When Inuyasha was satisfied, he pointed to Aonghus and Aodh, then out across the dark plains. The two nodded and disappeared into the grass sea.

"This is your plan? Use people as bait?" Sango hissed.

"If you can't be assed to listen to the plan, you don't get the bitch about it," Inuyasha growled. "Now get down and shut the fuck up." He did not give her the option, grabbing the back of her neck and forcing her to the ground. Sango came up spitting mud and glowering. The dog demon only gave her a fanged grin.

In the stillness, the humming of the world's many tiny creatures filled the air. Sango looked up at Inuyasha, but he was no longer paying attention. His ears were perked as he scanned the darkness, and his body was tense. Even his eyes seemed to glow as they caught a bit of light from the twin moons. It sent a shiver down her spine. She had come out here on an impulse, but now it seemed to be a bad idea. Unlike Kagome, she knew his threats were no bluff.

"Get your head out of the smog," Inuyasha hissed. "Here they come." Blinking, she turned back towards the plains. A strange bellow echoed across the grass. Sango lifted her head high enough to peer over the blades, her eyes widened.

The creature bounding towards them was thick, with a barrel chest and a powerful torso. Its small head was blunt and crowned with a pair of twisted horns, each two feet long. A tall fringe of fur spiked up from its spine starting between its cone shaped ears and ending as it merged with the puffball of a tail. Its legs were surprisingly streamlined, and it bounded through the grass as if more annoyed by its pursuers than frightened.

Inuyasha made a motion with his hand and the group rose to a crouching position, chouses ready. Sango followed suit. The creature came through the grass, unaware of their presence.

Inuyasha lunged. His chouse plunged into the creature's chest. The animal bellowed and tried to back up; but Aodh and Aonghus blocked its escape, stabbing their chouses into its rump. With Inuyasha's chouse in its chest keeping it from moving forward, and the other two behind, the animal found itself trapped and began thrashing wildly.

"Now!" Inuyasha grunted. Branwen and Chanda shoved their chouses into the creature's ribs, while Krishna took a place next to Inuyasha. The half demon yanked his chouse free. Dropping it on the ground, he pulled out his knife and grabbed one of the creature's horns.

With an angry bellow, the animal threw its head, lifting Inuyasha clean off his feet. Growling in frustration, Inuyasha hung on. As the creature lowered its head for another throw, his feet found the ground again; but this time the animal did not lift him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sango grasping the other horn with both hands. For a moment they stared at each other, then Inuyasha reached out and slashed the creature's throat with his knife, splattering them both with hot blood.

The animal gave a choked wheeze as its struggle slowed.

"Let's move!" Inuyasha ordered, as it dropped, finally, to the ground. Branwen quickly collected the chouses as the others lifted the animal and carried it back to the raft. It was awkward, but they managed to get their prize and themselves on the raft. The raven demon handed the chouses back out as they launched the craft back into the water.

Dipping the blunt end of the chouses into the water, they began to slowly make their way upstream.

&

They pulled the raft onto the well trodden bank they had launched from. The sun had finally crested the horizon, but the forest was still dark. The morning mist hung low in the dank air, making Inuyasha sweat.

Still without saying a word, he shifted his portion of the burden to the rest of the group. Sango glared at him as she grunted under the added weight, but he ignored her as he retrieved a length of rope hanging from a low tree branch. He unwound the rope and tossed one end over the branch before motioning the others over. Tying one end of the rope around the creature's horns, Inuyasha and Aonghus hoisted the animal into the air before tying the other end off around the tree's root. Looking up from his work, he frowned and grumbled.

He pushed past the group and marched towards camp. He barked a "stay" over his shoulder and snorted at the sound of Sango's protest. The path was dark, but his night vision turned the pre-dawn gloom into midday.

The camp was silent. Inuyasha padded his way between the people still sleeping in the open and pushed back the mat covering Kagome's shelter. The early morning light fell across her sleeping form and gave him pause. The faint light highlighted her slightly sunken cheeks and made her skin look a bit too pale. She looked almost too delicate to touch.

"Oi! Wake up!" Inuyasha hissed, giving her shoulders a sharp shake. "I ain't carvin' that thing up if I can't eat it!"

Kagome groaned, blindly shoving him away as she sat up and yawned. "Too early..."

"Bitch, bitch, bitch. Get up already!"

"Let me find my comp." Kagome yawned as she began to blindly grope the dark ground. Inuyasha snatched it up from next to her bag and shoved it into her hands. Grabbing her wrist he hauled her to her feet, pulling her along behind him as he made his way back towards the river. She stumbled but managed to keep her footing.

When they reached the river's edge where the carcass hung he abruptly released her. Sango rushed to her side, glaring at his retreating back. Pulling out his knife, he slit the creature from its throat to its belly. A mess of bloody organs spilled out of the opening.

Kagome gagged. Inuyasha cut her a sharp look. "Today, Princess!"

"You don't expect me to...touch that, do you?" Kagome asked as she edged away. "It's gross."

Inuyasha snarled and rolled his eyes. Turning, he cut a sliver of flesh from the carcass and held it out to her. Reluctantly, Kagome held out a test tube and Inuyasha dropped the piece into it. Putting the tube into a slot on the top of her comp, she danced her fingers across the screen. The comp's light cast her face in eerie relief as her eyes skimmed the readout.

"There is a higher fat content than I would expect... no carbohydrates, but that's expected... low calories and high protein... no notable pathogens..." Kagome muttered. "It should be safe once cooked. However, there is always a chance it contains something the comp doesn't know to look for."

"What does that mean?" Sango asked.

Kagome tilted her head to the side in thought. "The universe is made of a finite set of elements, but the number of amalgamates is infinite."

"What?" Inuyasha barked.

"Take carbon as an example. If you burn that stick, you'd get ashes, which is mostly carbon. Heated to a high enough temperature and put under enough pressure it could become a diamond. However, you could also take those ashes and make lye, which is caustic and quite deadly."

Inuyasha blinked. "So can we eat it or not?"

Kagome sighed. "As far as I can tell, it is safe. But there is always a chance that the process of cooking the meat will cause an unforeseen result."

"Oh, you're a fucking lot of help," Inuyasha grumbled. Kagome sighed, both tired and exasperated, and tapped a few keys on her comp before handing it to him. Inuyasha took a quick look at the diagram before tossing it back to her.

"Hey! That's delicate!" Kagome snapped as she juggled the comp to keep it from hitting the ground.

Inuyasha only grunted as he took his knife and cut into the skin around the neck and each leg. Then he carefully extended his haphazard vertical slash down the rest of the creature's stomach, cutting around the genitals and the rectum. Finally he made horizontal cuts perpendicular to the one down the creature's middle that ran between the forelegs and another between the hind legs.

Tucking his knife into his pants, he took hold of the skin below the slit throat and began to pull. Kagome made a gagging sound and bolted back towards camp. Slowly, Inuyasha peeled the skin away from the flesh, occasionally using his knife to cut connective tissue. When he had rendered the creature naked except for the fur around its lower feet and head; he reached into the open stomach and began pulling out entrails and dropping them on the ground. He reached up into the chest cavity and pulled out the organs protected behind the ribs. They hit the dirt with a wet thump.

With unskilled slashes he began cutting meat from bone.

&

The smell of cooking meat wafted over the camp. It was strange, Kagome noticed, the effect this had. The usual bickering had quieted, even Inuyasha and Sango seemed to have reached a wary truce. It had taken a better part of the day to get the fire going again; with much ado about having to find more wood and the best way to bring the coals back to a blaze. But after the meat began roasting on skewers, everyone calmed down.

Kagome found herself tending the meat, turning the strips of flesh skewered on sticks so they would cook on both sides. Tearing a tiny piece off, she ran it through her comp.

"Can we eat it?"

Kagome yelped in surprise and nearly toppled forward, but a strong arm around her waist kept her from falling. Turning, she found Inuyasha crouching right next to her. He withdrew his arm and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, it's almost done, and don't do that!"

"Feh. You scare too easy." He smirked.

"The Gods have looked down upon us today and smiled," Miroku said, drawing their attention to him as he stood at the entrance. "So this shall be our Thanksgiving. From this day forward, for all the generations to come, we shall celebrate the blessings we received today."

"What the fuck is Thanksgiving?" Inuyasha asked as he rocked back on his heels.

"A day on which we give thanks?" Shippou offered as the fox demon limped over and sat down next to the fire. With a careful hand he reached out and poked the cooking meat. "Is it done yet?"

"No, smart ass."

"Actually, Thanksgiving was a holiday celebrated in the country of The United States of America until the mid-twenty-fifth century," Kagome provided as she settled down in a less precarious position. "At which point its traditions were abolished or absorbed into Unity Day, along with the festivities of other similar cultural celebrations when the World Government unified all nations into one."

"You live on useless information, don't you?" Inuyasha huffed even as the corner of his mouth twitched in amusement. He reached out and snatched a skewer of meat from the fire, blew on it, and bit a chunk out of the end. Kagome blinked at him

"Well?" Shippou pressed as he chewed. "Are you going to die?"

Inuyasha swallowed. "Tastes like poison. I better finish it off. No reason for everyone to die." Shippou snorted and grabbed his own skewer.

Other people quickly took notice and began to crowd closer. Inuyasha turned and snarled, baring his fangs and flattening his ears. People took several steps back.

"Oh, hell no, you aren't starting that bullshit again!" Sango snapped as she stepped forward. "That belongs to everyone."

"The fuck it does! I only saw five people this morning!" Inuyasha growled and Sango glowered.

Miroku stepped between them, an end of his staff pointed at each of them. "This is a time for celebration, not quarreling. Surely a peaceful agreement can be reached."

"You can't negotiate with ignos, Miroku. They can't think about anyone but themselves," Sango hissed.

"At least we think _for _ourselves," Inuyasha shot back through bared fangs. "If it was up to you we'd starve because you had your fucking orders to wait on your ass!"

"Enough!" Miroku repeated, raising his voice to be heard. "Allow me to make a suggestion." Sango crossed her arms and Inuyasha gave a disinterested snort. "Inuyasha is correct in saying that he and those with him earned this meal–"

"Ha!" Inuyasha snapped.

"However," Miroku pressed on, "Lady Sango is also correct in saying that the food must be shared among everyone, lest some starve."

"Get on with it, Priest!" Sango growled.

"The hunters take only their fair share, but they get first choice. Is that agreeable?"

"Fuck no!" Inuyasha snarled. "I'm not doing all the hard work while these little shits sit around waiting to be fed! They want some, they can get off their asses and get their own!"

"You selfish–"

"Stop it, please, both of you!" Kagome cut off Sango's tirade. Turning to the half-demon she gently laid a hand on his arm. "Inuyasha, think about this: if you share, people will be more inclined to help you next time which means more food." He glared and jerked his arm away from her. Kagome smiled brightly in spite of him. "Look at what you brought back with just five people; I wonder what you could do with ten or even fifteen. It would be a feast!"

Inuyasha snorted. "You're a stupid girl." He snatched a handful a choice skewers and stomped off.

"Kagome, you shouldn't encourage him," Sango huffed. "He needs to know his place."

Kagome gave her a kind smile. "I don't think he will ever be put in place by you." She turned to watch as Inuyasha passed the meat among those who had been with him on the hunt. "Besides, why fight when stroking his ego works far better."

"I'm beginning to wonder if that's all you want to stroke," Sango snapped before turning on her heel and marching off. Kagome could only stutter a protest and blush.

&

Shippou swallowed his last bite of meat and wiped his mouth on the back of his arm. All around him people were talking and laughing; it was an almost alien sound. Over the last week the group had grown quieter and quieter. He smiled to see Krishna standing on a log someone had dragged over for a seat, as he animatedly told of the hunt. Shippou pushed himself to his feet, his leg was still sore and the skin tight, but he was able to hobble across the space to hear the story.

The panther demon spoke in a hushed voice as he mimed slinking through the grass on all fours. "We could hear the beast charging towards us – the soft sucking sound of moist ground and the rustle of the grass, announcing its approach. As it was almost upon us, we leapt up." He jumped to his feet and lifted his arm as if holding a chouse, then plunged the imaginary weapon forward as he lunged. "We held it there as Inuyasha sliced its throat and brought it to the ground. Then we loaded it onto our raft and paddled back upstream. All the time listening for the tell-tale scream of the Terraraptors."

Shippou's lips curled in a whimsical smile. Tottering back to his shelter, he retrieved one of the few objects he had brought from Earth, and returned to his favorite spot by the fire. Lifting the piece of pipe to his lips, he began to blow. His breath slid over a carefully carved hole at one end as his fingers danced over a myriad of other smaller holes decorating the length of the metal. The sound came out in a metallic tenor that vibrated the air of the campsite with a nameless melody.

Kagome lifter her head as the music, alien and beautiful, began to fill the air. It was like nothing she had ever heard. It was not the complex rhythms or harmonies she had grown up on. In fact, the tune would likely give any of her music instructors a coronary. The player sounded as if he had never had a lesson in his life. Sharps and flats mixed at seemingly random moments, and it worked off a five note scale, far simpler than the thirty-five note scale she knew. Yet, she would not call it bad... just different.

Movement in her peripheral vision made her turn. Inuyasha rose from where he was sitting and walked over to the fox-demon. Leaning over he whispered something in the other's ear. Shippou nodded and, without missing a note, switched to a heavier tone.

Inuyasha laughed. It felt like ages since he'd last cut loose, and this seemed a good reason to celebrate. He let his memory take control, losing himself in the movement and music. Absently, he noticed others joining him, their movements as known to him as his own. There were not enough of them to make a full complement, but it was enough. Absently, he wished they had something to set the rhythm, but quickly forgot about it in the thrill of the music.

Kagome watched in wonder as the people moved around the fire, their shadows playing across the stone walls. They kicked and spun and stomped their feet.

"It looks like...a war dance," she said in fascination.

"It is," Sango replied flatly as she got up and vanished into her shelter.

Sango sighed as she curled up on her mat. The music and laughter beyond echoed in her ears, touching parts of her she would rather have left buried. Old scars emitted memories shadowed in phantom pain as her mind's eye summoned an image of a dead man. He grasped her torn shirt as he gurgled his last breath. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to block out the music that had played that night as well.


End file.
